Panyaden International School

What a strange experience with Panyaden…They were fast with payment/visa instructions and our interview was done by Michel Thibeault, an elderly man interested in whether our child has violent tendencies.

I read the staff section on the school’s website and noticed that aside from some nice-sounding quotes attributed to each team member there wasn’t any info about them at all…Not very reassuring.

I write asking about Spiritual Advisor Ajahn Jayasaro and the role he plays at the school, why he’s qualified to lead spiritually etc. The qualifications and experience of Michel Thibeault, Markus Roselieb, Neil Amas and Yodphet Susawad etc. to lead the school. How long have they been working in their current roles?

Also, p. 3 of their Fee Structure doc states “If a student is dismissed from the school due to poor behaviour or due to the behaviour of parents, there will be no refund of school fees.” Sounds a bit arbitrary – so I ask about the specifics of what constitutes “poor behaviour.”

The next 8 days I’m stonewalled by the school. No response or info. At this point I’m still interested in signing up so I call in and am told that my questions are too “deep” so require foreign staff to respond. I ask specifically if there’s any problems and am told there aren’t any… Days pass and still nothing, and due to the limited time I have for applying visas I needed a response asap and 8 days is plenty to answer any questions IMO.

By now I’m more interested in how long they can keep up this game so I threaten to go public on the forums unless they get back at me. I then get a response back the SAME day:

ME: What role does Spiritual Advisor Ajahn Jayasaro play in the day-to-day affairs of the school? Does he instruct the children? Why was the decision made to include him in the school as a spiritual advisor? Why is he qualified to do so?

PANYADEN: Ajahn Jayasaro advises the school on Buddhist values. He visits the school on occasion and mainly gives talks and advice to parents and teachers. He is a highly revered Buddhist monk.

ME: In the “Our Team” section of the school website figures such as Michel Thibeault, Markus Rosalieb, and Neil Amas and Yodphet Susawad etc. all have individual quotes attributed to them. And that is really the only information listed about them on the website. What are their qualifications to lead the school? What previous experience do they have in the field of education? How long have they been working in their current roles? What skills do they bring to the table for Panyaden?

PANYADEN: The management team are all highly experienced and qualified according to the roles they provide to the school and have been here since the school was set up in 2010. Michel Thibeault is the Head Teacher, who has over 30 years experience of teaching and school leadership.

ME: Also on the 3rd page of your Fee Structure document d) states “If a student is dismissed from the school due to poor behaviour or due to the behaviour of parents, there will be no refund of school fees.” Could you please specify what constitutes “poor behavior” according to your school guidelines?

PANYADEN: ‘Poor behaviour’ means not respecting the school’s rules and code of conduct and might constitute anything which is considered unreasonable, such as aggression, violence or bringing the school into disrepute.

I found their answers haphazardly written and deliberately evasive. But I leave the questions and responses in their original form open to other interpretations. I’m a parent who reads the labels when I buy, and I post my experience with Panyaden on here for other parents who do their due diligence as a cautionary tale…

I have met with them in person and I would highly recommend their unique programme. They teach Buddhist values in a pollution-free area.