The barriers to entry in that market are very high.

@tiger
I'm interested in any and all reviews of feedback from Kindergarten (do KIA have one?) to High School. Someone must go to these schools?

Until last year I taught at American International High School in Dianchi area (now retired). Students are Gaoyi-Gaosan. The school uses its own curriculum preparing students for the ACT and overseas study. Students study both the arts and sciences. Study covers all the bases for the American Common Core. Students are also able to do AP in Gaosan. It is a three year program, taught in English with Chinese language support where needed. Teachers are well qualified and also mostly happy, as several have been there for 5+ years.
I think all students who complete the program find university places with scholarships.

You're retired or the school?

NB the school is secular.

The only legit international school in Kunming is KIA, last I checked. All other schools are knock off version. International schools if properly registered need the students to show passports and mainland Chinese are not permitted to join.
And they are vetted and standardized, so that if you graduate, you could join any college or highschool in the country the school is registered, or globally.

The ministry of education has to sign off on it. Still a surprise to me how KIA managed to get it done, with their little religious affiliation.

Using an international curriculum doesn't make it an international school. If, then all my previous classes were International school classes.

To get a license for Int. Schools is almost impossible from within China and you need tons of cash, an international education linked institute, it needs to be vetted and other important administration obstacles to overcome.

There are these bicultural school, they pretend that they are somewhat international but just until they sucked enough money out of you and then turn full on Chinese style, gaokao, test this, test that and 30+kids in class, occasional corporal punishment, you name it.

And of course graduating from one of these doesn't do you any good, unless you go through years of tutor classes and TOEFL, GMAT tests. So in the end they are pretty pointless unless you want your loved ones to stay in China.

@ifoundthetuna
I'm sure most of what you right is spot on, but I know for a fact that some mainland Chinese (with no foreign passport) attend KIA - my friend's son being one. Perhaps, as with so much in China, a little guanxi/cash oils the wheels?

A little bit of what tuna says is correct. KIA is a fully international school, I am not sure, but Pollard might also be.
The bit about studying in bicultural schools does not apply to any of the international programs that I am aware of in Kunming (I worked for 3 of them).
The international programs are post middle school (students have already taken Zhongkao) and programs come under the licenses of local schools, i.e. they are a partnership, although they are run independently. This means that even though the student does not do Gaokao (or study for it) the student will get an official high school graduation certificate from the Chinese partner school. They need this to apply for study abroad. Some programs are even partnered with Universities overseas. The students are not left high and dry.
The students study for recognized qualifications that can include ACT, GAC, IB, IGCSE, and GED, in addition to IELTS or equivalent. All are recognized internationally.

NB KIA is not secular, it is a Christian organisation, which may be a plus or a minus to some people.

Technically there isnt an international school in Kunming.

There isn't an international school in Kunming recognised as so by the Chinese Ministry of Education or IASL.

What you have in Kunming is private companies working in the education sector to better prepare students with second language qualifications that can be used as a ladder to study abroad. Its up to you if you think KIA, AIA, Pollard or any other can cover the education for your child, but to be believing you are putting them in 'international school education' would be well off the mark.

Go and shop around and most importantly ask the question - What if my kid has to go back to America/Britain/Switzerland half way through a school year - not in monetery terms but in how their programmes line up against a foreign curriculum and if what they teach holds weight in that country. If they start going around the houses then chances are they're sending their kids abroad through a third party, that shouldn't interest you, it should be the programme that the school teaches itself, see if its accredited with any governments or schools abroad.

Teaching IELTS or ACT, GAC doesn't an international school make.

An international school must be registered as a school in a foreign country ie. The British School in Beijing is registered with the Ministry of Education in Britain, everything is in accordance with their rules.

The curriculum of these schools is then in accordance with British/French/Australian education. Everything is replicated exactly including holidays, exams etc.

The other way to becoming an international school would be teaching IB or IGCSE. These are amongst the courses recognised by SCE and IASL.

The rest, GAC, ACT etc are private companies selling a DIY course for second language learners that are recognised in certain sectors of school admission abroad and the criteria for these courses is very loose and not aimed at the international school market, more for public schools wanting to send students to University education at foundation level. Again, there is a destinction made in these courses which aim them at non native speakers.

A true international school allows access into year 1 study in British/American/European universities, this is something that GAC/ATC etc cannot do.

An international school must also have licenced teachers from the country of its curriculum, this is something that private enterprises are not limited to.

Any international school in Kunming is by name only. The nearest international school to Kunming according to SCI is in Bangladesh and Chengdu.