Helen Morschel, Surabaya
Globally, there is an increasing trend amongst schools claiming to provide an international education for their students. This use of the term ""international"" can be quite misleading for parents as they sort through the plethora of schools currently advertising and promoting their worth within Indonesia.
There are three different types of schools that use the word international in their titles and promotional material, and this can lead to confusion for those who come from a non-educational background. The confusion arises when confronted with the terms international schools, international standard of education and an international education.
International schools are usually established to provide an education for expatriate students living outside their home country. These schools may, or may not, provide an international education -- it depends upon their individual charter.
Often, international schools are established to deliver a curriculum from another country, eg: America, Britain or Singapore. Using teachers from this home country, they deliver the curriculum in the host country. This is a viable education tailored to meet a specific audience, especially those who will return to the home country at some time during their education, but it is not an international education.
Other international schools may choose a varied curriculum, delivered by teachers from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds, thus moving towards offering an international education. A true ""international school"" is one which does not emphasize the curriculum or culture of any one country.
An international standard of education is a term used with increasing regularity, to describe a school which may not change the curriculum or content, but may teach fro example, using a bought, franchised program from overseas, teach in English, introduce a native, foreign-language teacher or a new program in one specific area, or use equipment brought from outside the country.
This, too, should not be confused with an international education. It refers to resources, program design and teaching staff, not necessarily the content of the curriculum or the culture of the school.
The aim of a true international education is to include a focus on global issues, not just those of one particular country or culture. An international education encourages students to understand that all cultures have equal validity and to practice tolerance and understanding, leading to a peaceful world.
An international education adopts values both across cultures and within each culture. Its characteristics should include-
o Exposure to others of different cultures within the school..
o Teachers who demonstrate international, open-mindedness
o Exposure to different cultures that exist outside the school
o A balanced, formal curriculum
o A management philosophy that incorporates the values of internationalism.
Any school, international or national, can, with the appropriate direction and commitment, offer an international education. Increasingly, schools in a mono-cultural, national setting are adopting international curricula and providing an international education for their students. In these schools, informal contact between students and teachers is unlikely to lead to intercultural understanding.
The schools have to, therefore, dig deeper to lead students to become internationally-minded. It requires far more than employing teachers from outside the host country, celebrating special festivals or sharing international food. Teachers must guide the students to think about being international, to understand and respect different points of view and to be able to make informed comparisons.
These students need to be aware of their origins and culture, whilst at the same time being able to view these in the context of the world. Students should be guided to be active learners, well-rounded individuals and pro-active citizens. Learning takes place not only in the classroom, but beyond, through outdoor activities, excursions and community support programs.
The advantage of an international education is that it creates internationally-minded people who are able to take an active role in life anywhere in the world, whilst still retaining and valuing the characteristics of their own backgrounds. It prepares today's students to grow into tomorrow's world citizens.
The writer is Coordinating Principal of Sekolah Ciputra, Surabaya and can be reached at helenmorschel@hotmail.com.
