Mid-Range International Schools in Phuket

KIS • QSI • Lighthouse • Oak Meadow • PGIS

Teacher quality is the single most important factor in education. In Phuket, many schools advertise “qualified teachers”, but this phrase is not regulated and often does not mean licensed professional educators.

Below is an honest breakdown of what this typically means at each school, based on teaching standards, recruitment patterns, and transparency.

Kajonkiet International School Phuket (KIS)

Reality: Mixed qualifications

KIS employs:

• A core group of fully licensed teachers (PGCE, QTS, B.Ed, US licenses)

• A significant number of unlicensed teachers, often holding:

• General degrees

• TEFL / TESOL certificates

Strength: Solid academic structure & leadership

Limitation: Teacher licensing not consistent across staff

Bottom line: Good academic value, but not elite teacher standards.

QSI International School of Phuket

Reality: Mostly fully licensed teachers

QSI primarily employs:

• US-licensed teachers

• Staff trained in mastery-based and personalized learning

Strength: Strong consistency in teacher qualifications

Limitation: Smaller recruitment pool = occasional staffing gaps

Bottom line: One of the strongest teacher-qualification profiles in mid-range schools.

Lighthouse International School Phuket

Reality: Mixed staffing

Lighthouse employs:

• Some fully licensed international teachers

• Some non-licensed teachers with some education experience

Strength: Creativity, innovation, project-based learning

Limitation: Academic consistency and formal teacher licensing vary

Bottom line: Strong for creative learning, less for traditional academic rigor.

Oak Meadow International School Phuket

Reality: Child development + mixed teaching licenses

Oak Meadow employs:

• Early-years specialists

• Holistic educators

• Some licensed teachers

• Some staff without formal teaching licenses

Strength: Emotional wellbeing, nature-based learning

Limitation: Academic teaching credentials vary

Bottom line: Excellent for holistic development, not academically intensive.

Phuket Global International School (PGIS)

Reality: Mixed, budget-conscious staffing

PGIS employs:

• Some licensed British and international teachers

• Many degree + TEFL teachers

Strength: Affordable British curriculum

Limitation: Teacher licensing levels lower overall

Bottom line: Best budget academic option, not high teacher-credential standard.

Honest Teacher-Quality Comparison - Teacher Licensing Level

QSI

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Strong consistency)

KIS

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Mixed but solid)

Lighthouse

⭐⭐⭐ (Mixed, progressive focus)

Oak Meadow

⭐⭐⭐ (Holistic focus)

PGIS

⭐⭐ (Budget staffing model)

Final Teacher Insight

In Phuket:

“Qualified teachers” does NOT automatically mean licensed professional educators.

Schools with high teacher standards clearly publish staff qualifications.

Always ask:

What qualification does my child's teacher have? Often schools will hire qualified teachers in management positions and classroom teachers are backpackers with a TEFL certificate. Your child is not spending all day with the manager of the department.