What Our Teachers Say

Profesionally Rewarding - A short film about working at the school

"Coming to VIS has given me some excellent opportunities to work with and learn from some very knowledgeable and approachable colleagues. The school places a strong emphasis on collaboration, which I believe has enabled me to grow professionally during my time here. The students at the school are extremely warm and are motivated to achieve their best. They are eager to participate in activities, both inside and outside of the classroom. On the whole, the parents are supportive of the work that the teachers do and are very open in their communication with grade level advisors.

Depending on how you live, your pay will take you a long way in Vientiane, however, as in any place, your potential to save will be dependent on your lifestyle. Buying imported food from supermarkets all the time will get costly, but this is offset by the number of cheap, good quality restaurants in town which means that there plenty of affordable culinary options. Life here is extremely relaxed and almost everything in town takes no longer 10 minutes to get to, given the lack of real traffic in the city. There are many groups running activities catered to expatriates, which include: soccer, netball, floor hockey, ultimate frisbee, Australian football, yoga, book clubs, Women’s International Group and many more.

Overall, I view Vientiane as a real lifestyle posting. Even though the capital is modernizing at pace, the tempo of life is still slow and there is a real romantic, small town feel to the city. I have yet to meet anyone who has not really liked Vientiane, but I have met a number who love it so much that they have stayed on here for many years."

"My experiences at Vientiane International School have been very positive. I have had the opportunity to learn and build upon my IB knowledge from very dedicated colleagues who are genuine in their beliefs and educational philosophies. There is a wonderful mix of students and families, who are very supportive and friendly. For myself, life in Vientiane has been a mix of festivals and celebrations with enough time to take a moment to take it all in. There are a lot of sporting and social activities to become involved in, plenty of restaurants, temples and markets to explore. The living conditions are of a high standard and due to the range of transport, food and social options there is potential to save money here."

"The VIS student body doesn’t seem that different from those in other international schools I’ve taught in. From my perspective, there is greater awareness of these demands in both the student and parent bodies than in the first year(s) of the program.

The Secondary School has a very congenial and hardworking staff. The Secondary Principal is supportive and open in her professional relationships with staff. We have an excellent PYP Coordinator who is easy to work with and knowledgeable.

There are plenty of opportunities for leadership and involvement.

Teaching couples should be able to save, but ability to save is based on personal spending and travel habits, so I won’t hazard an estimate. We find living in Vientiane and traveling in Laos interesting and enjoyable. It is a small capital city compared to the major cities of many other countries. Laos is a paradise for people that love weaving and baskets. The opportunities are amazing for people to see and experience textile arts."

"We are in our second year at Vientiane International School after extended periods in Phnom Penh and Bangkok. We have a two year old daughter and a seven year old son. Vientiane is a great city to live in as a family. It is clean, safe and laid back. Our children spend a lot of their time outdoors and are involved in activities around the school. We are very pleased with the education our son has had since moving here. VIS is committed to implementing the three IB programmes and it is an exciting time to be here."