Ruamrudee International School

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RIS logo

Ruamrudee International School (R.I.S.) is an international school located in Bangkok, Thailand. As of 2005 it has some 1,890 students, in kindergarten to grade 12. 65% of the students are Thai. Of the 43 nationalities represented, there are also large numbers of Taiwanese (6%), Indians (20%), Koreans (8%) and Americans (1%).

The school was founded in 1957 by the Redemtorist Fathers of Thailand and the Sisters of Holy Infant Jesus as the "Holy Redeemer School", for the purpose of providing an education for the children of international members of the Holy Redeemer Church. It initially followed a British curriculum, switching to the American system in 1966.

RIS is affiliated with the Catholic church and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Association of Indian Universities.

Academic standards are high-- the school offers APs and the IB Diploma to Juniors and Seniors. The top 10 graduating seniors usually receive admission to Ivy League schools as well as elite liberal arts colleges; scholarships are often a part of the admissions package. Many of the faculty are expatriates from the US, the UK, Canada and Australia. Foreign language courses are taught by faculty who are natives of the countries where the language is spoken. Classes are often small and teachers know students by name. Faculty also chair clubs and chaperone field trips.

The RIS uniforms follow that of a typical Catholic school: white short-sleeved polos or plain white shirts with the RIS logo embroidered on the pocket, paired with knee-length plaid skirts for girls and dark blue trousers for boys. Students are free to wear any form of footwear, including sneakers, that do not expose the toe. RIS has a strict "no untucked shirts" policy-- faculty and members of administration routinely pull aside students who violate this rule. "No uniform day" typically occurs during the last Friday of every month, presenting a prime opportunity for students to turn RIS's hallways into a fashion parade.

A lot of money has been invested in building its sister school, RIST, for those who need improvement on English.

Looking at facilities, RIS is in the upper echelon. RIS has various facilities such as an olympic size swimming pool (which actually belongs to its sister school, RIST), 2 olympic size soccer fields, 5 basketball courts, and various other sports facilities. Apart from this, RIS is one of the first schools to have wireless internet connection on campus. This is installed to further facilitate the learning process for students.

Location-wise, RIS is set on the outskirts of Bangkok, with a reverse commute against traffic into and out of the city of Bangkok. It is set on a big grass field, away from any major buildings except for a few housing developments (many of these housing faculty and some students).

In its high school, there is a notable absence of ill-will and overt cliqueishness-- while there are cliques (the popular ones, the academic ones, as per your typical high school)-- they do not claim exclusive tables or refuse to talk to other high school students.

The School Song:

"Follow On Ruamrudee" Sung by Various Artists