In 1994, Lertlah School opened as a private Thai primary school, ranging from Nursery to P6 (grade 6). In 1996 Lertlah School expanded to embark upon an English Immersion Program based on the popular Canadian model of immersion teaching. The Lertlah International Program School, or LIPS, was one of the first of its kind in Thailand. In May 2002, yet another building was added to accommodate increasing enrollments with classes ranging from Nursery to M2 (grade 8) and future plans to expand up to M3 (grade 9). Currently there are three programs housed in four buildings, serving approximately 1500 students and employing over 50 foreign teachers - mostly from Canada.

The Programs of Lertlah
A. The Immersion or International Program - Lertlah International Program School (LIPS) - Building # 3
The Immersion Program, which has been in existence since 1996, covers K1 (3 year olds) to P6 (grade 6 or 11 & 12 year olds). K1 - P6 students receive approximately 80% of their instruction in English. The homeroom teachers are native English speakers, and instruction is based on the curricula provided by Manitoba Education, Training and Youth. The program also offers native English speaking teachers for Physical Education, Music, Computers, Library as well as Resource. The maximum class size in the LIPS Program is 25, with Thai teachers providing support for the English homeroom teachers at the K1 - K3 levels.

B. The English Program - Lertlah School Kanchanapisek - Lertlah Kan
The newest addition to the Lertlah schools began its English Program in May 2002. It covers Nursery (2 year olds) to M2 (grade 8 or 13 & 14 year olds). At all the grade levels, including Nursery, students receive approximately 50% of their instruction in English. The Thai homeroom teachers work closely with native English speaking teachers to provide a consistent integrated approach to instruction for the N – K3 levels, and to ensure that content requirements are met for English instruction through Math, Science and Language Arts at the P1 - P6 levels. Native English speaking teachers also teach Physical Education and Computers. The maximum class size in the English Program is 25 for Nursery - K3, and 30 for P1 - M2, with Thai teachers providing support at the Nursery - K3 levels.

C. The Bilingual Program - Building # 3 (Nursery - K3); Buildings 1 # 2 (P1 - P6)
The Bilingual Program has been in existence since 2000. The program covers Nursery (2 year olds) - K3 (5 year olds), which are housed along with the LIPS program in Building 3, and P1 - P6 which are housed in Buildings 1 & 2. In Nursery, students receive all their instruction in Thai, while K1 - P6 students receive approximately 50% of their instruction in English. The Thai homeroom teachers work closely with native English speaking teachers to provide consistency of instruction for an integrated approach at the K1 - K3 levels and to ensure that content requirements are met for English instruction through Math, Science and Language Arts at the P1 - P6 levels. The Bilingual Program also uses native English speakers for Physical Education at the P1 - P6 levels. The maximum class size in the Bilingual Program is 35, with Thai teachers providing support for the English teachers at the K1 - K3 levels.

Building Locations
- Buildings 1, 2 & 3 are located in the Bangkok District of Nongkaem, approximately 45 - 60 minutes by taxi, southwest from downtown Bangkok.
- Buildings 1 & 2 (P1 - P6 Bilingual Program) are together right on the main road (Petkasem Rd.) and share
administrative offices.
- Building 3 (LIPS N - P6 & Bilingual N - K3 Programs) is about a 10-minute walk from Buildings 1 & 2. It is located just
off the main road (Petkasem Rd.), and has its own administrative offices.
- Lertlah Kan (English N - M2 Program), is in the Bangkok District of Bangbon, located approximately 20 minutes by taxi from Buildings 1, 2 & 3, and also about 45 minutes by taxi, southwest from downtown Bangkok. It is on another main road (Kanchanapisek Rd.) and has its own administrative offices.

There are several advantages of living and working in Nongkaem or Bangbon Districts:
1) In the suburbs, prices are more reasonable (rent, food, clothes, entertainment, etc);
2) Tourists in the suburbs are not very common, so people have more interest and more time for foreigners;
3) There is more "green space" and less pollution than in the heart of the city;
4) It is still close enough to downtown that one can easily enjoy all that Bangkok has to offer.

Qualifications Needed for Teaching at Lertlah
- A Bachelor of Education degree is required to teach in the LIPS Program (Building #3), and any teaching experience is a definite asset.
- A Bachelor's degree with15 credits (one semester) of education related coursework, from a faculty of education or a teachers' college, is the minimum requirement to teach in the English Program (Lertlah Kan). A Bachelor of Education is highly preferred, and any teaching experience is a definite asset.
- A Bachelor's degree is the minimum requirement to teach in the Bilingual Program (Buildings #1,2 & 3). A Bachelor of Education is highly preferred, and any education related coursework or teaching experience is a definite asset.

Curriculum and Instruction
The LIPS Program at Building #3, for the K1 – P6 levels, currently uses the Manitoba Education, Training and Youth Early Years & Middle Years curricula. It is modified to reflect the Thai socio-cultural context. Materials are from Canada and other English speaking countries or developed by teachers. There are 8 subject areas outlined by the Thai Ministry of Education: Thai Language; Math; Science; Social Studies; Art/Music/Thai Dance; Computers/Work Experience; Health/Physical Education; English Language Arts. Students in the LIPS program spend approximately 80% using English as the language of instruction. With their native English speaking homeroom teacher, students cover Math, Science, Social Studies and English Language Arts. They also have native English speakers for Computers, Physical Education and Music. There is also a native English speaking Librarian and Resource teacher. With the focus being on content in an immersion setting, LIPS students are able to develop a very high level of English competency. Students are in class Monday to Friday, from 8:00 – 15:30 with extra classes available after school and Saturday mornings (Homework Class, English Conversation Class, Swimming Class, Thai Dance, Mandarin Class, etc.).

The English Program at Lertlah Kan differs from the LIPS program primarily in the amount of contact hours students have with native English speakers, and the types of materials used. All the homeroom teachers in the English Program are Thai. The native English speakers in the English Program N – K3 teach Math, Science and English using an integrated approach. The curriculum is based on themes developed in cooperation with the English teachers and their Thai colleagues. The Let’s Go series is used for P1 – P6 English Language Arts, and texts developed specifically for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students are used for Math and Science. Teacher developed materials supplement the curricula throughout all levels and subject areas. As the English Program at Lertlah Kan only began in May 2002, materials and supplies are continually being purchased and developed by teachers for Math, Science and English Language Arts at the M1, M2 and M3 (grades 7, 8 & 9) levels. The English program also uses native English speakers for Physical Education and Computers. The curricula for these subjects, is based on themes developed in cooperation with English teachers and their Thai colleagues. As with the LIPS Program, classes are Monday to Friday from 8:00 – 15:30 with extra classes available after school and on Saturdays.

The Bilingual Program in Buildings #1 & 2 (P1 - P6) and Building #3 (N - K3) is very similar to the English Program at Lertlah Kan. However, there are no English teachers at the Nursery level. Thai teachers work together with the English teachers to develop thematic units for the K1 - K3 levels. Similarly, at the P1 - P6 levels, The Let’s Go series is used for English Language Arts. Texts, for Math and Science, have been specifically developed for EFL students. Teacher developed materials supplement the curricula throughout all levels and subject areas. As with the LIPS Program and English Program, classes are Monday to Friday from 8:00 – 15:30 with extra classes available after school and on Saturdays.

Teacher Duties and Expectations
The Lertlah academic year, as with most schools in Thailand, starts during the 3rd week in May and ends after the first week in March. Teachers begin their orientation on May 1. There are two semesters: Semester I - May to the end of September & Semester II - November to second week in March. There are evaluations at the end of each semester as well as mid-term evaluations in July and in December. Teachers are required to cooperate with their Thai colleagues in preparing a yearly outline, they are also required to submit weekly lesson plans, and evaluate students on an ongoing basis (in class behavior, homework as well as testing). In addition, teachers are required to perform duties (lunch, recess, greeting, etc.) on a rotating basis.

There is a dress code for teachers. The school provides the material for the female uniforms, but the teachers must have the uniforms made at their own expense. The male teachers must wear a button-up shirt, tie and dress pants. The school has an outdoor and indoor shoe policy. Outdoor shoes should be closed-toe, comfortable and respectable. Slip-on sandals may be worn inside the classrooms. Mondays are "Thai dress days" and Fridays are "sports uniform" days.

Foreign teachers are required to sign in Monday to Friday at 8:00 and sign out no earlier that 17:00. A typical timetable would have 25 contact hours per week. (5 contact hours per day with an hour for lunch and an hour for preparation). If teachers have less than 25 hours scheduled in their weekly timetable, they will be required to teach conversation classes from 15:30 to 16:30 (regular classes end at 15:30). Teachers are required to attend weekly staff meetings and participate in various school-related activities (example: orientation for parents). Saturday Conversation Classes (9:00 - 12:00), are taught on a voluntary basis, with extra remuneration provided.

Salary, Benefits and Holidays
Salary at Lertlah is commensurate with qualifications and experience and contracts are available for a minimum one-year term, on a full-time basis only. There is a 3-month probation period for all new teachers at Lertlah. Wages are paid monthly, based on the Canadian dollar, and deposited in Thai Baht directly into the teachers' Thai bank accounts. The salary also includes a monthly living allowance. Considering the cost of living in Thailand, the wages for foreign teachers at Lertlah are very respectable. Airfares are reimbursed (up to a limit) upon successful completion of a one-year contract. Bonuses (in form of salary, holidays and airfare) are offered for renewing and completing a second year contract. Limited accident coverage is provided from the first day of employment and limited health coverage is also provided for teachers at Lertlah after the 3-month probation period. Foreign teachers are advised to have additional coverage from home. Hospitals in Bangkok are modern by any standards.

First year teachers at Lertlah receive a total of 4 weeks of holidays; 2 weeks in October and 2 weeks in March. There are many national Thai Holidays throughout the year, with some additional days off during Songkran week in April.

Couples with Children
Please contact Lertlah.

Housing Options
There are two housing options recommended by Lertlah for teachers:
1) For teachers in Buildings 1, 2 & 3, C & L Mansion is the most convenient. It is located just off of the main road (Petkasem), approximately 10 minutes by bus from Buildings 1, 2 & 3. C &L Mansion is close to many Thai restaurants/stores and also close to major western-style shopping centers/supermarkets. One and two-bedroom units are available, with shared kitchen, laundry and common room (TV, VCR, DVD, stereo) facilities.
2) For teachers at Lertlah Kan, Bangkea Condotown is the most convenient. It is also located just off of Petkasem, but close to the intersection of Kanchanapisek - the main road where Lertlah Kan is located. It is approximately 20 minutes by bus from the school. Bangkea Condotown also is close to many Thai restaurants/stores and very close to several western-style shopping centers, supermarkets, and entertainment centres (cinema, amusement park, etc).

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