Between you and me, it s hard to find a good school in Panama. It s possible, but it s hard. The education system, from the curriculum down to teacher training, remains one of the largest faults of Panamanian life. I m speaking of public schools, as well as private. To be honest, I doubt there s any foreigner who s moved to Panama and put their children in a public school. They are simply too third world.
So what s my beef with private schools? Most private schools are just about the reputation and money. Education is big business nowadays, after all. There are so many instances in Panama of children from families of means or good names that are passed through the system of even the most respected schools, simply because it would be too difficult to fail them. Therein lies the rub.
The Curriculum and Methodology
The National curriculum is quite tough. You would think that made it better, right? You know... challenge the burgeoning minds? On the contrary, the way it s set up and the materials/texts that are used lead to hours and hours of homework. This is partly because there s too much material to realistically cover in the short school year March to December – with many breaks , and partly due to teaching practices.
Most local teachers don t actually teach. Not in the way you might expect, at any rate. Instead of interactive, dynamic classes where kids use more than one of the defined intelligences in a particular lesson, they mostly just copy. Copy? Yes, copy. The teacher will write a summary on the board. The students copy it. That s the class. Go home and study. The end result is frustrated parents coming home from a long day at work, trying to cram relatively useless information into their child s head. Why do I say useless? Once my daughter, in grade 2, had to learn aka, memorize a list of FORTY muscles in the body. Overnight. What, is this medical school for 7 year olds? It may not have been so bad if there were photos or some kind of diagram to relate the names to the location of the muscle. There was only a list. There were some tears and frustration that evening, let me tell you.
Likewise my son, also in grade 2 though several years later and a different school had to learn several types of flowers and plants. Not just about them generally, but the scientific name and characteristics. Again, botany for the young? You get the idea.
This is the crux of the problem – thinking skills are not encouraged. Problem solving is not encouraged. However, direct plagiarism in the form of copying and pasting information, articles, etc from the internet is accepted. Cheating in tests is the norm! I tell you, education is a serious issue that needs to be addressed, and not just at the literacy level.
Did I mention I m a teacher? I should probably clarify that I work with and know many teachers as well. My experiences and opinions are not merely based on prejudice or my kids. I actually teach adults, so I see first hand the results of the school system. Some scary stuff, let me tell you!
So what, then, is a parent to do?! I mean, you love your kids just as much as I do. And, like me, you probably don t have the time or patience to home school your children. Allow me now to calm your fears and tell you about a few of the better schools.
Think Panama s Top 10 School Picks*
International School of Panama
Balboa Academy
Episcopal
Crossroads Christian Academy
Escuela Montessori de Panama
La Salle
St. Mary s School
La Academia
Colegio Brader
El Chino-Panameño
*Below you will find a comparison chart outlining various aspects of each of these 10 schools
International School of Panama ISP This school is often described as comparable to a really excellent public school in the States. That s a good thing. Teachers are well qualified and maintain very good contact with parents. The teaching methods are more on par with what you see in North America and Europe. The kids learn. There s not a ton of homework because they learn at school. Homework should be mainly for reinforcement, after all.
ISP has great extra curricular activities. The curriculum is approved in U.S., and everything is done with the approval of the Board, under International School umbrella. The fields and other sport facilities are amazing. It really is a great school. Beautiful grounds. Peaceful. Nice feeling. They have IB International Baccalaureate in high school, giving it extra credibility and ease of credit transfer. Many a child has left ISP with a truly fantastic scholarship to a good University in the States. All subjects are in English. Teachers and parents have good communication. Teachers have regular training seminars.
Downsides? It s fairly difficult to get to because it s located behind one of the worst bottle-neck traffic sections in Panama. Possibly the worst. It s also very expensive. New students have to pay a one-time donation of $8500 before beginning. And the year s tuition is probably the highest in Panama. Another point is that the school charter dictates 50% of the students must be foreign nationals. What that often means is super-rich kids who drive their own Mercedes to school. Sons of Diplomats, company Chairmen, and other top executives. Many such families are only in Panama on 2-year contracts. It was pointed out to that should my children attend this school, it s quite possible and not infrequent that their best friends would be up and moved, eventually – in some cases overnight if a businessman is transferred suddenly. That was pause for thought. All in all, a good school.
Balboa Academy
This has been described as an okay U.S. public school. Founded by a group of American friends who wanted to see a better school, it s definitely better than most. However, this school is generally where all the rich Panamanians who are not Jewish I only mention this because most Jewish families like to send their kids to one of three Jewish schools in the city and are not accepted at ISP. The kids at Balboa Academy are well-known snobs. The peer pressure to keep up with fashion and lifestyle is harsh. The class gap can be a challenge to already struggling youth. You remember how it is! The cool phones, pants, and yes, cars. Except in the latter case, here you find 16 year olds driving massive SUVs without a license, but with their parents blessing. Sheesh.
Then, there are the teachers. It s very common for ex-alumni to be hired - whether qualified teachers or not. In fact it s well known that it s almost impossible to get a job there; unless you have a really good contact at the school. It seems that sometimes hiring a native speaker takes priority over teaching experience.
It s a very expensive school, but the curriculum is full English and it s accredited in the States. All graduates qualify for a U.S. diploma. Again, many students leave with terrific scholarships to good colleges. Definitely worth a look if you don t mind a very American moral atmosphere and the class distinctions.
Episcopal
There are two of these schools in Panama City. They are meant to be the same, but in reality they are worlds apart. Just the location of each says a lot. Episcopal San Cristobal is located in the infamously iffy Rio Abajo area of town, while Episcopal San Marcos is located in the center of the lovely El Carmen. The facilities are worlds apart, as well. Episcopal San Marcos has a large green area for kids to run around on, a gorgeous gym and full library. It s lovely. I ve only seen the gym at Episcopal San Cristobal but if that s anything to go by...oh my. So, we re only going to discuss San Marcos here.
The students at this school have to complete not only the local curriculum as all schools but Balboa and ISP seem to but TWO. They follow the U.S. curriculum, as well Panamanian. While this is great for the children to expand their horizons, so to speak, what this often means is subjects not being taught well, and hours 3-4 of homework every night. It s not even he teacher s fault in most cases, as they are given a near impossible task. Classes are quite big, too. And, this is one of those schools where kids who maybe should fail do not, except in extreme circumstances.
It does have a good extra curricular program. In fact its GIRL s soccer team go team! has played in International tournaments more than once. Now that s impressive on its own, let alone in a slightly chauvinistic culture. Teachers are required to post all grades on the school s website, whereby you can keep tabs on your child s work, and maintain contact with the teachers, as well. It s what we call a bilingual school. The non-native speakers leave with a pretty good command of English, but not perfect.
It s not super expensive, but it is notoriously difficult to gain acceptance to. It s another case of who you are or who you know. A local joke is that you have to register your child in utero. But it s not a joke! It really can be that hard, but with the waiting list they have, clearly many people believe it s worth it. All in all, a pretty good school if you don t mind the pressure and homework.
Crossroads Christian Academy
From their website, “Crossroads Christian Academy was founded as a ministry of Crossroads Bible Church in 1997 by a small group of missionaries, pastors, and other parents. Crossroads Christian Academy exists to provide, from a Christian perspective, a formal, high-quality American education in English.” This is a strong school with good teachers, in full English. They often bring in teachers from US, sometimes doing teaching practice.”
Depending where you settle, it might be a bit far out of town, as it s located in Albrook. There s a fair bit of homework. All the kids that go there seem happy, well adjusted and smart. The school is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International. Montessori School of Panama This is not a school you will find on most top 10 lists. It s a modest, relatively small school. It s not bilingual. Kids take English classes every day, but it s not the same as an English curriculum. Truth be known, the English teachers sometimes make grave errors. True to its roots, it has a lot of special needs kids. Though it has classes from pre-kinder to grade 12 6th year, many children leave to a better high school when the time comes. The high school section is new, though, so who knows if this will change as its reputation gets better and better.
What it does have going for it is the foundation of Montessori principles. The true Montessori method is for 3-6 years old, the foundation years of a child. In fact it s rare to find a school world wide that goes up to high school using Montessori principles. To have one in Panama is a welcome anomaly.
Classes are very small. Lessons are dynamic and interactive. If there s one thing this school promotes, it s thinking skills! There s not much homework. They learn the national curriculum and more, but mange to do it in a way that the burden of teaching is not left to the parent. The other thing this school promotes with vigor is inner self-discipline and respect for others. The Montessori method puts a lot of subtle emphasis on moral values, which surely is a good thing. Best of all, it s not very expensive.
Comparison Chart
Details
Contact
Ratio
RegistrationFee
Tuition
Location
SchoolYear
I
nternational School of Panama
266-7862/ 9532
25-1
$500+ one-time $8500 donation
$4500- 9000
CerroViento
Aug- Jun
BalboaAcademy
211-0035/ 317-186
15-1
$320/ 650 + one-time $6000 donation
$3700- 6800
ClaytonC.O.K.
Aug- Jun
ColegioEpiscopal de Panama
223-4836
28-1
>$1000
>$2300
ElCarmen
Mar- Dec
CrossroadsChristian Academy
317-9774
20-1
$400
>$3700
Abk/ Clayton / Cardenas
Aug- Jun
EscuelaMontessori de Panama
226-2116
30-1
>$400
$1500- 2000
SanFrancisco
Mar- Dec
ColegioLa Salle
ElCangrejo
Mar- Dec
St.Mary s School
315-0724/ 25 / 26
25-1
Albrook
Aug- Jun
LaAcademia
ColegioBrader
Mar- Dec
ElChino - Panameño
30-1
>$1700
ElDorado
Mar- Dec
Of course the beauty of the Internet is you can investigate all these schools and more to your heart s content. Many of these schools have terrific websites to explore. The beauty of Panama is that it s so intimate small!, you can easily check out each school for yourself. Meanwhile we ll have more information for you in the very near future.
Think Panama!
For All your Panama Schools, Panama Lifestyle, Panama Travel or Panama Real Estate needs - contact
Dinesh Vaswani or
Douglas Choy at
ThinkPanama.com. They will be happy to provide any guidance and information you may need.
Of course the beauty of the Internet is you can investigate all these schools and more to your heart s content. Many of these schools have terrific websites to explore. The beauty of Panama is that it s so intimate small!, you can easily check out each school for yourself. Meanwhile we ll have more information for you in the very near future.
Think Panama!
For All your Panama Schools, Panama Lifestyle, Panama Travel or Panama Real Estate needs - contact
Douglas M. Choy at
ThinkPanama.com. He will be happy to provide any guidance and information you may need.
