I’ve only been to the Philippines once and it wasn’t long enough. This is a country that I would love to explore more. It has just about everything that one could want as a base for learning about Southeast Asia. As English is widely spoken, some of the difficulties of acculturating to a new home is lessened for new expats.

Cebu International School is one of the international schools in the Philippines. CIS was founded in 1924 as the Cebu American School. The primary goal of the school is to develop well-balanced global citizens who are respectful of universal moral values and able to cope in a rapidly changing interdependent world. The curriculum at CIS is generally international with a recognition of local values and traditions. It is a day school that uses English as the language of instruction. In 2000 CIS moved into a new, purpose-built 3.2 hectare campus. Cebu International School is accredited by WASC. CIS is an IB World School. The Philippine government recognizes CIS as an international school. It provides educational services for students from Nursery through Grade 12. It is a member of the Council of International Schools and EARCOS (East Asia Regional Council for Overseas Schools).

Mission
The CIS mission is to help students reach their potential and give them the skills and confidence necessary to become responsible and committed global citizens.

Facilities
CIS has a 3.2 hectare campus. Facilities include classrooms, science and computer labs, art and music rooms, a canteen, a gym and full-sized sports field.

Curriculum
CIS has an international college preparatory curriculum. It offers the IB Diploma for students in Grade 11 and Grade 12. The curriculum, standards and benchmarks are all available online. Great, more schools should do this. ESL is available at all grade levels. The school has core courses taught in a self-contained classroom at the elementary level. Middle School and High School students have their subjects taught by specialists.

Extra-curricular Activities
CIS offers a variety of after school activities. All students are required to take at least one activity per semester. Some activities are: tennis, soccer, dancing, golf, student council, drama, arts, academics like study skills, cooking and more. Older students can compete with other international school students in the Philippines in volleyball, soccer and basketball.

Technology
CIS has one computer per classroom that is connected to a LAN and the internet in the elementary school. The Middle School and High School have a wireless internet campus with a lab, library computers and a laptop cart.

Employment
CIS employs both expats and national teachers. The school is very specific in what they want from a teacher, and to be honest, I can think of a number of teachers who would not want to work in this school under these conditions. Let’s take a look at them. CIS wants teachers with: previous international and IB experience, pastoral care experience, the flexibility necessary in a small school where teachers often have to take on multiple roles, honesty and transparency, the ability to be publicly supportive of the teachers and administrators, the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues, not being a clock-watcher, and experience at curriculum development and writing. To read more about what CIS expects of their teachers, click here.

What I get from reading the requirements for a new teacher is that there has been a good deal of tension, backbiting, and whining in the recent past. If not, why all the discussion about the need to publicly support the school and the administration, and about dealing directly with colleagues and about not sitting in class marking papers or being on the computer. Sounds like there have been some major personnel issues recently. The school makes it very clear that if a teacher can’t meet their expectations, they should not apply.

Unlike most international schools, both groups receive the same pay. The only difference between the two comes in the benefits package, which isn’t explained on the school website. The salary schedule is listed online. Pay is in pesos. Starting pay at Step 1 with a BA is 40,449.77 per month. No information is listed about the highest step new teachers can start at, but let’s say that I was given credit for 21 years of experience with a Ph.D. I could count on receiving about $1800 per month. So, teachers should not expect to save much money working here.

Job openings are listed on the school website after December 1st. CIS also attends some of the major recruitment fairs depending on their needs for the coming year. Ads for job openings are posted in the local newspapers and in TIE online. If you want to apply to Cebu International School, you need to send a resume, a recent photo, a scanned copy of your teaching certificate, and the names and contact details of three referees to superintendent@cis.edu.ph and hrd@cis.edu.ph

About Cebu
Cebu is one of the provinces of the Philippines. The island has around 3.5 million people and Cebu City is the large city of the region; it is also the oldest city in the country. Cebu is known as an excellent tourist destination and has beautiful beaches, world-class golf courses, casinos, a tropical climate, and excellent shopping. It is an excellent spot to be based if you wish to explore hundreds of small islands around the Philippines. A new international airport is under construction and should be completed within a few years.