In this episode of Brewed in Bangkok I sit down with David Tongue, who is the founding headmaster of Brighton College International School in Bangkok. Brighton College in Bangkok is a sister-school of Brighton College in the UK. Out of 9,000 schools in the UK, Brighton College UK is ranked the #1 co-educational school and the #5 school out of 9,000 schools in the UK. It’s David’s passion for working with children that inspired him to become and headmaster and later open up Brighton College in Bangkok.
About David Tongue
- excelled in athletics but was injured while over-training
- was a good student
- earned a few detentions for being “chatty”
- attended Watford Grammar School for Boys in London
- started as an inspector and deputy headmaster at one of the oldest British international schools in Madrid
- was one of the founding members of the National Association of British Schools in Spain
- received his first headship and moved to South America, where he worked as the Director of Education in the Falkland Islands
- joined the Brighton College family of schools and set up Brighton College, Al Ain in Abu Dhabi
- moved to Thailand in the beginning of 2017 to open Brighton College
- believes creativity is important in education
- has three kids, two of which go to Brighton College Bangkok
- wants his students to have the early direction he didn’t have
Topics Discussed Today
- role and responsibilities of a headmaster
- how Brighton College spends tuition
- staffing and managing the teachers of an international school
- tracking performance of Brighton College
- expected and current problems with running a school
- student body at Brighton College
- why co-ed schools offer a richer experience than all-boys or all-girls schools
- workload of Brighton College students
- important questions parents should ask international schools
- cultural differences and how they make his headmaster duties challenging
- Brighton College’s available scholarships and bursaries
- dealing with investors, property partners, architects, and designers
- the changes needed to develop the public education system in Thailand
Resources Mentioned
- Brighton College International School, Bangkok
- Brighton College UK
- Program For International Student Assessment (PISA)
- Watford Grammar School for Boys
Credits
I had some help with this episode: Lou Pobjecky kindly helped me with a lot of the necessary audio edits to get the file in a listenable shape. Lou also put together the cover image and quick description for this episode.
Want More?
- International Schools in Bangkok: Costs, Locations, and Choices
- International Schools in Thailand: A Primer for Expat Parents
- The Complete Guide to Learning Thai Online And Available Courses
- Study Abroad in Thailand: Universities, Programs, Visas, and Costs
- Complete collection of Brewed in Bangkok episodes.