A Brief View About International Schools

Internation Education by WZ

The Definition of an International School

The International School Consultancy (ISC) defines a school as international when the “school delivers a curriculum to any combination of pre-school, primary or secondary students, wholly or partly in English outside an English-speaking country. or; If a school is in a country where English is one of the official languages, it offers an English-medium curriculum other than the country’s national curriculum and the school is international in its orientation (www.iscresearch.com).” This definition seems broad enough to fit the needs of a data collection team like ISC, but for me this is too broad to define an international school from the perspective of a teacher. I would add that international schools need to be accredited by an accepted accreditation agency. Otherwise, any school that teaches any curriculum in English outside of an English speaking country could call itself an international school. In Asia there are many private schools that teach English to local students. The curriculum is in English, so these would be considered international schools by the ISC definition. But as a teacher interested in teaching overseas, I would say these schools are very different from accredited institutions that teach a college preparatory curriculum to their students.

The Foundation and History of International Schools

International schools began in the mid 1960s for expatriate children who had to move overseas because their parents had been assigned certain jobs, especially government or NGO jobs with agencies such as the United Nations. The International Baccalaureate program and Kurt Hahn’s United World College were also started at this time to provide students with an education that was not only rigorous academically but would also teach students to have an international perspective.

Kurt Hahn believed that the educational systems of his day were doing a disservice to their students. Schools were cultivating students’ needs and desires to become well-rounded citizens capable of contributing significantly to society. His experiences with education were almost exclusively with boys, but his philosophies can definitely be applied to all students today. Hahn had several ideas for a more comprehensive education which he implemented into his schools. The first was physical training. He believes students should be trained to overcome their weaknesses and achieve a level of fitness which would allow them to lead long healthy lives. Next, Hahn strongly believed in the experiential part of education. He wanted students to learn a craft, and he wanted them to learn the craft by working with actual craftsmen or mentors. The purpose here again is to build valuable life skills. Another part of experiential education is community service. Hahn believed students should learn compassion by helping others and providing services to the community. Finally, Hahn also stressed academics.

We can see many of Kurt Hahn’s philosophies still in place in today’s international schools. First, international schools typically offer more opportunities for more physical activity. At the American School of Doha (ASD), elementary students have three recesses each day and two PE classes per week. There are also many sports offered after school throughout the year. Experiential education is also an important part of most international schools. Week Without Walls is a part of most middle school curriculums throughout the international school world. Community service is a part of the IB program, and many schools incorporate a service aspect to the curriculum in the lower grades as well. At ASD, each grade in the upper elementary school is tasked with creating and implementing a service project. Many schools have also started adding curiosity projects to their academic calendars. This may not be quite the same as Hahn’s idea of learning a craft or skill, but students do choose a topic or skill they would like to learn, then they seek out a mentor to help guide them through the learning process. Kurt Hahn would probably say this is not enough to build useful skills in our students, but at least it’s a start. Finally, academics are a strength of many international schools. ASD’s student population consistently scores well above the average on the MAPs standardized assessment. I think Kurt Hahn would be happy to see that his legacy and philosophy lives on in the international school communities around the world.

The Growth of Internation School in the Nearly Future

International school numbers are on the rise, with China and the Middle East showing the biggest growth (www.iscresearch.com). Student enrollment at international schools is on the rise globally as the workforce becomes more mobile and willing to move globally. Also, as the standard of living rises in many countries, we have seen an increase in enrollment in international schools from local populations. China and the Middle East lead the way as the economies in those regions continues to expand at a rapid pace and in an influx of expatriates come in for infrastructure projects. In my experience living in Qatar, expatriates from all over the world are moving in to support infrastructure projects for the 2022 World Cup, including a brand new subway system and an increased emphasis on medical and financial services. As these people move into the country the demand for international schools has increased as well. As more teachers come into the region to fill the demand, organizations such as the Alliance for International Education become more important for their support of teachers and their continued professional development. These organizations organize conferences throughout the region and assist in monitoring the quality of schools and the services they provide to their students. The professional development they offer helps educators stay relevant in the profession and allows them to keep qualifications that they have earned in their home country.

References:

*Education and Peace.pdf. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwgYlY1O2AV2VERSQVVpZFNVOFE/view

*n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.kurthahn.org/

*What is an international school Part 1.pdf. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwgYlY1O2AV2UHhHa25ta1JvakE/view