Understanding Philosophies of International Schools
What is an “International” School?
My friends in the United States are often confused when I explain to them that I teach at an International School in Hong Kong. They ask if I teach in Chinese or if my students know English at all or even wonder how I get paid. The confusion over what makes a school “International” rather than say a national or local school is one that is even debated among International School’s themselves. Many definitions and or systems of explaining this are available and these have changed and are always changing.
Most broadly, an International school is one that teaches from or designs a schools’ curriculum that is not based on a national curriculum of the country that it resides. Most often International also means that the population of students are to be diverse and not simply from the local ethnicity or that the teachers are foreign and not local. Many schools will simply use the term “international” to elevate it’s status to seem more exclusive, but many can use this as a front to make parents feel good without actually having the curriculum to reflect its title. However some say that the term International should only be used for a school that accepts expatriate students (non local citizens) while others say they need to simply promote international or global ideas at the school (Hill, 66). Other International school agencies such as ECIS say there needs to be more than one cultural or educational system being implemented within the school.
All that to say, the term “International School” is one that is complex, and depending on the context or the person’s perspective can mean something different to each person. However, in my current experience and even based on the recent reading on the topic, I believe that an International school is one that provides international exposure in language, culture, curriculum, diverse student and teacher ethnicity, and is not bound by a nation's government regulations or standards; being independent and free to adapt and change to a global market, as it prepares students for jobs in an international setting.
What is the history of “International Schools”?
International schools, while relatively recent, grew out of an increasing global economy post World War II, were often related to United Nations goals or that of famous educational founders such as Kurt Hahn. Ian Hill writes that,
“The historical definition of the ideal international school, as espoused by Leach and ISA in the 1960s, required a culturally diverse, internationally
mobile student and governing body with no one national group or
government in control, not-for-profit status, together with an education
for intercultural understanding and awareness of global issues, what we
might call international mindedness. They were usually market-driven
and with a mission related to that of the UN, whence many of those
earlier parents came” (Hill, 66).
As mentioned before, the definition or exact nature of what makes a school International or not has historically and will continue to be one without an exact definition.
An important figure in the International School movement was based around a man named Kurt Hahn. While his Outward Bound program and school such as Salem are famous, he was also the founder of the United World College school system, with a great desire for experiential learning. It is in the UWC schooling concept that Hahn envisioned a cross culturally rich learning environment focused on helping foster compassion among the students. Hahn writes “
“I regard it as the foremost task of education to insure the survival of these qualities: an enterprising curiosity, an undefeatable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self denial, and above all, compassion” (KurtHahn.com).
It is with this mindset that Kurt Hahn founded these schools in the 1960’s to help pave way for other educators with a similar international mindset towards educating students to have greater connectivity of ideas in hopes of fostering peace (and economic prosperity) globally. Hahn observed in the 1950s and 60s that schools were simply not meeting the desires of students for action or helping them master skill sets and set out to help prepare students to know how to serve and meet the needs of the world. This purpose was driven from Hahn’s Good Samaritan concept of helping those in need, however different they are than you. And while Hahn set a clear vision for schooling, I feel that this vision has sadly faded in many international schools for the fact that they are often profit driven, self-serving, with little desire to actually help prepare students to meet the needs of the world.
Current Trends in International Education
ISC Research, which tracks data and reporting related to international schools reported in it’s “Higher Education Report” that there is an expected 6% increase in the amount of international schools worldwide by 2024 simply due to their demand in the global education market (Higher Education Report). Of the regions in this report, Asia has had the fastest growth in international schools in the last 6 years and the trend is going to continue the more the wealth of the asian countries begins to increase. The report also noted that IB and AP focused schools continue to be the main curricular options for international students preparing to study in western universities. An interesting data point that I also noticed was that among graduates entering into universities, accounting, finance and business management was sought after as a degree nearly double the second highest program option for students coming from international schools. This trend may be due to the fact that international students are in cities and environments, either due to their families or close proximity to financial hubs, desire these degrees to help prepare them for global opportunities in these areas of study.
Sources
Higher Education Report. (2020). ISC Research - Higher education report.
Hill, I. (2015). What is an ‘International School’? International Schools Journal Vol XXXV No.1 November 2015
KurtHahn.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.kurthahn.org/
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