Abstract
This book is an edited compilation of reflection pieces by educators with deep experience in international education. It is structured in three sections: (1) curriculum, (2) how international schools are organized, and (3) trends and future developments.
Editors Hayden and Thompson cite the growth of “international schools” as the motivation for a much-needed discussion about international education and for this book. They state: “ISC Research … predicts that by 2025 there will be at least 15,000 English-medium international schools teaching over 8 million students (Keeling, 2015)” (p13). Most chapter authors in this volume cite the same ISC Research data while making a corollary statement that there is no agreed definition of what can be classified as an “international school”. Readers should educate themselves with the ISC Research methodology used to illustrate the growth projections in order to develop an informed view.
Most authors in this book discuss the legacy of “traditional international schools”, which started over 50 years ago for children of diplomats and expatriates who needed to be educated in a host country for a temporary period before they returned to their home for further education. These students needed to meet the academic standards accepted in their motherland, and the study and preservation of their mother tongue was also needed for re-integration once they returned home. Western ideology and educational influence was, by virtue of these circumstances, the cornerstone for the philosophy, curriculum and teacher capital in these schools. Most chapter authors discuss the predicted coming growth as a potential disruptor of this model as more national schools introduce an “international” curriculum whether that is British, American, International Baccalaureate or other variants. Skelton’s sentiment, voiced by many other authors in this book, that “almost no one agrees on the definition of international school” (p72) is important to note.
Tate’s exploration in the chapter entitled “What are International Schools For?” is a thoughtful steer to first focus on the purpose of the school and therefore the important question of what sort of student do you want to develop and graduate? This then should set the pedagogical path that emanates from values-based educational goals. Tate argues that such education should be available to all students, not just those attending international schools, and it should also be the responsibility of national systems to inculcate the best educational methodologies. Tate explores educational philosophy in international schools through the lens of western liberal enlightenment philosophy. His thoughtful debate, which focuses on the citizenship-building needs of national educational systems, the infusion of western values into national schools through meaningful integration rather than superficial labelling, and the influence of English as the de facto linguistic lingua franca, begs serious consideration. Tate’s exploration of the constructivist and progressive pedagogy as pre-requisites, but not necessarily the privy, of international education adds to his multi-layered, aptly-titled chapter with his signature writing, infused with occasional provocations and predictable neuron firers.
Walker’s chapter “International Schools and International Curricula” asks, if growth as predicted by ISC Research is inevitable, what then might be the implications for the types of schools that result and what might the needs be. Waterson, in “Corporatisation of International Schooling”, discusses the role of “transnational corporations” in establishing schools all around the world and the potential implications for a monopoly on formulaic education, focused more on the bottom line than on innovation. The author discusses ideological differences between not-for-profit and such for-profit schools. This view is further explored by Bunnell, who argues that this shift towards “commercial operators” has the potential for leading to a “post-ideal era” of pragmatic and market-led versions. He discusses the need to view the “booming growth” in a very different light, as both a potential threat and a risk. (p219)
A pragmatic chapter by Fabian focuses on pedagogy and the teacher as a central tenet as she explores the curriculum for and in international schools, asserting that international education, at its best, could be “a source of aspiration and inspiration for students, for schools and the world.” Crediting the International Baccalaureate with being “the first organization to have developed, articulated and exemplified a pedagogy of international education”, (p86) she methodically lays out a narrative and the framework for a specific type of teaching and learning that should be evidenced in such schools. Her belief is that classrooms should be generative learning environments, enabled not only by the curriculum (the content) but also by mindfully building conversations between students and teacher as a purposeful pedagogical approach. Discussions could serve as intellectual stimulants for perspective-broadening learning experiences, and ground learning in a humanistic ideology of understanding the other.
Stobie focuses further on the cultures of learning, particularly those of Western versus “Confucian heritage” cultures. His critical arguments centre on the content, the pedagogy and the assessment, and the need to understand these better along with the need for empirical evidence which evaluates the merits of both as well as what sits in “harmony” with local cultures. Stobie adds further substance to the explorations of Fabian, Tate and Skelton that “A concern with broader learner competencies, including learning habits and dispositions, is central to preparing students in a world of uncertainty” (p67). The chapter “Lessons Learned from Opening a World School” is a case study of a school recently opened in Beijing with a goal to bring together a respectful amalgam of the “best of New England preparatory school boarding programs and international curricular frameworks with a unique Chinese thread” (Booth et al, p165). With the tagline “a new world school, a new model of education in China”, the authors discuss the importance of choosing values, a culture of schooling, and the art of negotiating the many factors needed to establish such schools which “set out explicitly to learn from and for the world”. Similarly, Halicioglu discusses the particulars of a residential or boarding setting in enabling international education and the development of inter-cultural understanding, and the multitude of issues that can contribute to or detract from enabling that goal. Fertig and James delve deeply into the leadership, management issues and practices that are particular to international schools, distilling literature reviews into meaningful adoptable proposals within well-organized sections.
Skelton states that “international is a dispositional rather than a locational adjective” (p71) and argues for “an increasingly sophisticated awareness of the other”. This sentiment resonated with me, given my migration around classrooms throughout the world, from the West to the East. Understanding the other not in relativist terms, but in substantial ways, is, in today’s world, the requisite of an educated mind. The other is not so far away geographically. Skelton skilfully navigates the inextricable linkages between content, teaching and learning and how the purpose of your school – what kind of student are you wishing to develop – will serve as a good lens through which to engineer a design. He succinctly lays out his thinking to exemplify his claim that “the heart of any successful international dimension is a practiced sense of the other” (p76) through layered learning experiences that are mindful of the age and the context, and are sustained in practice over time. This leads extraordinary “personal development” with an ability to develop a perspective that is “different therefore equal” rather than “different therefore wrong”. He also argues that this is a “matter of skill and development”. Walker uses different words to express a similar sentiment that “opportunities to develop intercultural understanding will lie at the heart of an international curriculum” (p48), ideally through debate and discussion among students so perspectives can be discussed. These notions are fit for any good learning setting which prepares students for today’s world in which, regardless of their location, they will encounter diverse views which they will need to navigate towards their unknown futures, both intellectually and emotionally.
Ever-changing and short-lived regulatory educational policies resulting from ever-changing political leaders can indeed quickly de-inspire educators whose daily transactional profession can make or break so many young lives they are charged with nurturing. In that light, Richards’ self-described “over-long, self-indulgent, howl of protest” makes for a dramatic read with visual imagery generated by phrases such as “men in dark suits”, “educrats” and teachers who say “I’m only a teacher”. The author makes an important point: “education is far too important to leave to the centralized control of bickering politicians” (p160).
Education is a stated priority for all nations, although we know some do it exceptionally well and others not so well. Even in those countries that do it well, attention must be paid to national interests and political needs as well as to the need for balanced integration of sound educational philosophy. Every day the International Baccalaureate (IB), mentioned here because it is well cited in most chapters of this book, strives to do the extraordinary – to stay true to the principles of educational standards implemented worldwide. The IB also strives to place a central philosophical stance, that is education has a primary goal of bettering the world and an educated student should exercise that agency. And, remaining political rhetoric free, the IB aims to outline the standards and practices that would ensure the achievability of the high educational outcomes infused with such philosophy in most schools, most of the time and under most circumstances. These standards are co-constructed by teachers worldwide and are implemented for a local context that best fits the school’s own setting. As international education, and the IB within it, evolve from experimental beginnings to being responsible custodians of the professional field, we will be guided by salient points made by the authors while also being cognizant that IB research has added significant contributions to the field and can continue to do so.
As professional custodians of such a valuable ideology and practise that transcends nations, but is not only inter-national, we must also subscribe to and subject ourselves to professional standards of collective review. To do so, we need to subscribe to articulated definitions of some common concepts so that we can evaluate and generalize findings across school settings. There should be an open dialogue to create standards which are necessary and inevitable. Given Wordsworth’s words in 1802, “the child is father of the man”, we should continually be mindful of the value of developing the highest order of habits of mind in the young minds entrusted to international educators around the world. This privilege of upholding international education is inordinately humbling and always daunting. As Jason Clay best states, “It is not the ability to find the right answers that makes education a fearsome tool; rather, it is the ability to ask the hard questions. We call this skill critical thinking. When used properly, it is the best tool we have and our greatest hope for advancing the world towards peace and prosperity.”
In summary, this edited book is a compilation of chapters that discuss the ideology of international education through different lenses. The issues raised will perhaps serve as stimuli to further develop operational definitions so we can continue to add evidence and drive our profession of international education to develop common standards. It is inspiring to see that those in international education are thoughtfully adapting to a changing educational landscape in a changing world. It is clear that while we respond nimbly, we should continually be mindful of a core philosophy and purpose, what standards we agree on and uphold, and how we adapt to schools that are emerging all over the world within different cultures and with differing needs as they introduce international education. We must thoughtfully guide as students engage with an international humanistic ideology, teachers implement a progressive pedagogy and – equally importantly – we maintain international assessment practices that are accepted the world over.