What is an International School?

Boom, the gymnasium doors sounded as the large group of players entered the facility. The atmosphere tightened with every step taken by the approaching basketball program. There were blank gazes displayed by most as one could only imagine the mental sizing-up which had begun to ensue. The day started as another basketball tournament, but at this particular moment, in the minds of every person in the gym, nothing remained the same.

Before the doors opened, a level of familiarity was present. Each international school warmed up its Chinese student to prepare for battle. However, the school that had just entered the facility had players that looked different and did not have a single Chinese student on the team. As they warmed up, they were loud, talking in multiple languages, and appeared to enjoy every second on the court. They even had parents and females dressed in matching uniforms chanting for them. The nerve!

Throughout the day, I monitored the team's behavior. At different moments they displayed different characteristics. At times they reminded me of a school in the United States. In other instances, I saw cultural similarities to my experience playing Rugby with New Zealanders in the Middle East. When my team played against this particular team, I noticed they used different languages to call out the plays the coach wanted to execute. I had no idea what I was experiencing, but I had to know more.

I took a mental note of the school's full name. Then, I sat quietly on my school's charter-styled school bus for the hour ride back to the campus. After saying my last goodbye to my players, I immediately did an internet search to find out more about the school. For years I thought I knew what an international school was. However, I realized I had only touched the iceberg's surface at that moment.

According to the International School Consultancy (ISC), an international school is "a privately operated school that has chosen to deliver a curriculum wholly or partly in English to some or all of its students between 3 and 18, in a country where English is not an official language" (ISC Research, n.d.). For years I agreed with the definition but seeing the school at the basketball tournament challenged my view. I know international schools are more than the blanket definition provided. Especially when I compare where I teach to the other school around the area, I notice most are the same while some noticeably stand out. So, how would I define an international school? My definition of an international school goes deeper than curriculum and language. Many schools can boast the word international in their name while being very close to a national school. My definition of an international school is a privately owned educational system for students under 18, which is diverse in culture, instructs at least 50% in English, and provides students with an environment that is relatively different from the school's location.

For most of my career, I have worked in environments where the school was for upper-class students that were only international by passport. In many situations, the parents were from the area in which the school was located. The dynamic is similar to Ian Hills type C international school in part one of What is an 'international School. At one point, I am sure that international schools desire to be international. However, without regulation on acceptance, compromise turns many schools like this into merely private schools.

After my experience with seeing the other school and reflecting on my own experiences, I paid a great deal of attention to schools I would see in competitions. The one thing I noticed was that the schools considered traditional international schools are the one's teachers and students in my circle wanted to work at or attend. Therefore, the most practical conclusion I could gather from my various interactions discussing the topic would be that culture is the difference. The best description I can use is how Kurt Hahn referred to the story of Professor Ernst Hofmann asking people "with a radiance in their eyes" (Hahn, 1936) If they were from Salam. While I never saw radiance, you could notice a difference in the way the students' approached situations. They were the only people not jaded by the social norms everyone else encountered.

Traditionally an international school was comprised primarily of students who traveled from one area to another for education or moved with their families to the area for work purposes. Some schools receive government support that allows students to attend from the local area. International education is a trend that grew in the 1950s and 60s, and the school model was around before then. Kurt Hahn was an important figure in international education during this time. He created many programs which are still active even fifty years after his passing. He was a writer, a school founder, and a person who established innovative programs that have forever changed education. Before knowing who Kurt Hahn was, I was impacted by him—for example, having to assist students in learning to set up tents for the Duke of Edinburgh's trips. As a person who has primarily taught Common Core, I was grateful for the experience. I am even more amazed at how his idea can take students out of their current reality of cell phones and google searches and put them in a pace that forces them to think outside of what is considered normal.

The need for international schools continues to grow as the world becomes a more globalized place. Large cities around the world with transit communities have special education needs. Creating an environment that promotes learning even when the local language is not the primary language for travelers is where many international schools step in. Programs like the Alliance for International Education assist schools with connecting organizations to get research trend best practices and to solve issues that could take place in international schools.

In the 21st century, the term international school has multiple meanings. Parents, students, and teachers must decide what lens they want to look at in the term. While these institutions are evolving and will continue to grow, the purpose of educating students is the one thing they have in common.

Resources

Hahn, K. (1936). Education and Peace: The Foundations of Modern Society. The Inverness Courier. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t745YhHvMA0Gfiau4FOhLzfFB3e7h500/view

ISC Research. (n.d.). ISC Research. https://iscresearch.com/#:~:text=a%20privately%20operated%20school%20that%20delivers%20a%20curriculum%20other%20than,English%20is%20an%20official%20language