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Portrait
Founder & Head of School
Violeta Tzvetkov
Violeta Tzvetkov is an educator from Perth, Western Australia, and the Founder & Head of School of Taling Ngam International Academy.
Her vision is to create a school where children are not rushed out of childhood, but deeply supported within it — a place where play is respected, creativity is central, relationships matter, and the natural world is part of everyday learning.
Drawing on five years delivering the ASDAN approach in Australia, Violeta brings deep experience in inclusive, flexible education. As a pre-approved ASDAN SEN centre, Taling Ngam International Academy is a learning community inspired by Reggio Emilia and forest schooling — tailored to our island setting, with inclusive practice at its heart.
“I believe childhood is not a preparation for life — it is life itself. Every moment a child spends in wonder, in play, in deep concentration, in friendship — that is education at its most powerful.”
— Violeta Tzvetkov
The vision
Taling Ngam International Academy was born from a deep belief that young children deserve more than early academics and screen-based distraction. They deserve time, space, nature, creativity and adults who genuinely respect their intelligence.
Koh Samui — and Taling Ngam in particular — offers something rare: a community where families from across the world live quietly, close to nature, seeking a slower, more intentional childhood for their children. This academy is for them.
Growing from the creative spirit of MulaMati Rainbow Village, the academy carries forward that love of art, music, play and community — now with educational depth, international perspective and professional care.