Childhood Education

ISSN: 0009-4056 (Print) 2162-0725 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/uced20

International Schools an English

Language Education Anywhere in the World

Jeffrey C. Brewster

To cite this article: Jeffrey C. Brewster (2002) International Schools an

English Language Education Anywhere in the World, Childhood Education,
78:6, 367-370, DOI: 10.1080/00094056.2002.10522208

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00094056.2002.10522208

Published online: 26 Jul 2012.

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Jeffrey C. Brewster
International School of Brussels.
I nternationaI Schools
JefireyC. BrewsterisLibrarian,
Brussels, Belgium. . I
An English Language
Education Anywhere
in the World

T he late-August sunshine filters through the oak and beech treeson the
campus. It is the Xrst day of school at the kternational School of Brussels (ISB),
where Filippo is about to start 1st grade. While it is his first day at ISB, it is certainly
not his first day of school. Filippo attended kindergarten in Chicago and preschool for
two years in Tokyo. Now, his father’s diplomatic career has brought the family to
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Brussels.
The doors of the four 1st-grade classrooms have brightly colored signs
displaying the students’ names. Filippo joins the other eager 6-year-olds
searching for their names. The parents also scan the lists of names, marveling The tremendous
at the diversity: Ana, Angelina, Ashoka, Cankut, Claire, Deirdre, Filippo,
Hagar, Hak Hyun, Ines, Jarrah, Maya, Moustafa, Peter, Petra, Rigzin, Yarden, diversity in cultural
Yuka, Zachery.
While the teachers‘ names (which are also posted) are not as recognizably backgrounds o f
diverse, the four 1st-grade teachers do come from four different countries-
Great Britain, New Zealand, Ireland, and the United States. They represent these 8 0 s t u d e n t s
four very different training experiences, educational philosophies, and ap-
proaches to working with students and families. The tremendous diversity in and four teachers
cultural backgrounds of these 80 students and four teachers helps one
understand why the Director of Admissions often comments that ”ISB is really helps one
a mini-United Nations.”
Filippo and his classmates represent 15 different nationalities in a class- understand why t h e
room of twenty 1st-graders. While such diversity may be found in many
schools throughout the world today (Rodd, 1996), one unique characteristic of Directorof
this international school group is that only Angelina, just one child out of 20,
is attending school in her home country. The other 19 children and their families Admissions o f t e n
have relocated to Brussels for various reasons. For many of these 1st-graders this
is their first move away from their home country; for Claire, Deirdre, Maya, and commentsthat
Rigzin, however, this move to Brussels is their second move since birth. For
Filippo and Yarden, it is their third. “ISB i s really a mini-
How did these children arrive at this 1st-grade classroom on this August
morning? While the individual stories are as varied as the names on the U n i te d N a t i o n s. ’’
classroom list, they almost all share the experience of living for an extended
time away from their home country. In addition, their parents wish to provide
their children with an English-language education, despite the fact that only
half of the families speak English as their first language.
In 1924, the first international school was established in Geneva, Switzer-
land, providing an English-language education for the children of diplomats

INTERNATIONALFocusISSUE2002 + 367
 The initial reason for t h e b i r t h of international schools was t o provide
an English-language education anywhere in t h e world . However, a secondary,
equally significant purpose has emerged in more recent times: t h e fostering o f
interrlational citizenship . International schools are coming t o terms w i t h t h e f a c
t t h a t simply having students a t t e n d classes w i t h peers from different cultural
backgrounds does
n o t mean t h a t they will gain knowledge about, appreciation o f , and respect f o r
diversiiy . Learning t o behave based on an understanding of o t h e r cultures d o e s
n o t o c c d r by osmosis.

and business people. Shortly after that, an interna-tional

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personal potential. We encourage the involvement and co-

school opened in Yokohama, Japan (Hayden &
Thompson, 2000). In 1965, the European Council of
International Schools (ECIS) was founded; its primary
mission was the advancement of internationalism
through education and the provision of services to its
members. While essentially a service organization,
ECIS provides assistance where needed in a variety of
ways, including school accreditation, teacher and ex-
ecutive recruitment, professional development for
teachers and administrators, fellowships in interna-
tional education, and specialized publications, includ-
ing fiiterizntioiinl Schools \oirrnal. ECIS, a not-for-
profit membership organization, is the largest
association of international schools and serves the
interests of more than 300,000 students and their
families worldwide (ECIS Directory, 1999).
Today there are over 500 international schools
throughout the world (ECIS Directory, 1999). The
students are children of diplomats and business fami-
lies. The schools also serve children of some local
nationals who simply prefer the international school
environment. While the largest groups of students are
American and British, a wide range of national, cul-tural,
religious, and linguistic backgrounds can be found in
international schools.
Although the following statement of educational
philosophy is taken from the strategic plan of the ISB,
the stated goals are very similar to those of other
international schools:
Our school focuses on educational excellence while fostering the
development of the whole person. We encourage each student to
develop the ability to think critically, creatively and
independently, and to attain his or her academic and
operation of parents in school life. Our larger purpose is to
equip students to lead constructive and fulfilling lives, to
appreciate and respect a diverse range of cultures, and to have
a sense of service and responsibility toward the world
community. (ISB, 1997, p. 3 )
International schools share a commitment to aca-
demic excellence and to preparing students to be global
citizens who are knowledgeable about and respectful of
the beliefs and valuesof their own and other cultures,
and who are willing and able to embrace a wide range
of perspectives. Still, it must be emphasized that inter-
national schools are at least as diverse as they are
similar. The following points highlight some of the
factors that contribute to the personality of an indi-
vidual international school:
Enrollment. Some schools have almost 6,000 stu-
dents enrolled; some have fewer than SO.
Location. Some are urban-in the heart of cities like
Cairo, Rio de Janeiro, or Washington, D.C.-and
others are rural-in a Swiss village, beside a lake in
Uruguay, or in the Tanzanian countryside.
Nationalities represented. British or American en-
rollment at some schools is as much as 85 percent;
others have fewer than 10 percent from any one country.
Typically, 50 to 60 nationalities are repre-sented, with
no single one in the majority; some of the larger schools
may have as many as 100 different nationalities
represented.
Curriculum. Some offer a standard U.S. college-
preparatory program or a standard U.K. Programme, or
acombination of the two. Some prepare students for the
French Baccalaureate or other national exami-

368 + CHILDHOODEDUCATION
 nations. Each year, more and more schools offer an
international curriculumfrom preschool through high
school, based on the pioneering work of the Interna-
tional Schools Curriculum Project (now the Primary
Years Programme)of the International Baccalaureate
Organization and the Middle Years Programme, fol-
lowed by preparation for the I.B. Diploma, a creden-
tial recognized worldwide for university entrance
(ECIS Directory, 1999; Walker, 2000).
Management. In most cases, international schools
are independently owned and managed, although
some are state-run schools with international, En-
glish-language options. Occasionally, some schools
may come under the sponsorship of a particular
multinational company /organization, or of one or
more embassies.
CompetitiveV Snoncompetitive. status.
International schools are community schools, and
usually consid-ered to be noncompetitive with regard
to entrance requirements. Although they are designed
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to serve the needs of a varied group of students and
their families, a few are selective. As more and more
families relocate (Jalongo, 1994/95) and seek school-
ing for their children, international schools are devel-
oping programs that cater to special learning needs.
Languages. The common first language of many
students is English in its many forms (i.e., British,
Australian, Scottish, American, etc.). English is the
primary language of instruction, although most
schools do offer instruction in the language(s) of the
host country. Some host countries require the study of
their national language. Most internationalschools
have comprehensive programs of intensive English
language instruction for those students who are not
fluent in English. A few schools are genuinely bilin-
gual or even multilingual (ECIS, 1999).
For all of the similarities and shared visions that can be
found among schools that call themselves international,
there are at least as many unique features for each
individual school.
One aspect that all international school communities
share is that almost all of the students are “third-culture
kids” (Gillies, 1998bhildren who have lived outside of
their native country for periods of time and, as a result,
have blended the norms and values of the host country
with those of their native one. The passport they carry
may indicate nationality, but not necessarily a national
identity (Meek, 2001). An increasingnumber of students
have not stayed for longer than summer holidays in their
”national home.” On the other side of the continuum,
some children may be away from their home country
only for a single period of two or three years during all
of their primary and secondary school-
INTERNATIONALFocus ISSUE2002 + 369
 ing. Nevertheless, these young people have been
changed by their international experience; they do not
always find their social place easily when they return to
their home culture.
These students, their families, and most international
school personnel share certain experiences that have the
potential for building a new sense of community. Some
of these experiences include:
All were new at one time and have had to adapt to the
demands of relocation (Jalongo, 1994/95).
All have left important relationships and objects be-
hind, including friends, pets, a familiar home, a
school, extended families, and favorite or significant
emo-tional places.
Almost all are ”third culture hds” (Gillies, 1998),
influenced by more than one culture.
All have felt the promise of potential rewards, new
friends, places, languages, and a broader picture of
the world. All have been faced with the challenges of
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turning those possibilities into reality.
Most will experience the loss, through attrition, of a
third of their classmates/community at the end of each
school year, and will be greeted each school year by
as many new faces.
As time goes on, all will have the experience of being
the ones left behind.
The teachers, administrators, and support staff in
international schools can ease the adaptive demands
placed on these children and families by helping them
to find their places in their new school community.
Some possible ways to achieve that goal include:
Providing staff inservice training, observational
. guidelines, and support (Jalongo, 1994/ 95) Responding to
children’s common questions and concerns about relocating,
being new, making friends, and becoming a member of a new
community
.(Jalongo, 1994/ 95)
Using the curriculum to help children build concepts
about moving, from dramatic play areas in the kin-
dergarten classrooms, complete with packing boxes,
bubble-wrap, and tape as props, to literature studies in
the upper elementary grades focusing on adapta-tion,
change, and relocation (Jalongo, 1994/95)
.
Involving the students in developing welcome and departure rituals
(Jalongo, 1994/95)
Developing schoolwide policies that support chil-dren
and families new to the school, including but not
limited to: Back-to-School Picnics; International
Group Contacts; school visits prior to enrollment
either in person, via video, or over a Web site; Parent Rodd, J. (1996). Children, culture, and education.
/ Teacher Association meetings, where the speakers
address some of the issues about relocation; pairing
370 + CHILDHOODEDUCATION
new students with returning students via E-mail pen-
pal networks during the summer before their arrival,
etc.
Searching for additional ways to inform newcomers
of the services that are available to them Continuing
to explore ways of affirming the value of students’
multicultural backgrounds.
The initial reason for the birth of international schools
was to provide an English-languageeducation anywhere
in the world. However, a secondary, equally significant
purpose has emerged in more recent times: the fostering
of international citizenship. International schools are
coming to terms with the fact that simply having stu-
dents attend classes with peers from different cultural
backgrounds does not mean that they will gain knowl-
edge about, appreciation of, and respect for diversity.
Learning to behave based on an understanding of other
cultures does not occur by osmosis. What does it mean,
for example, for Filippo and his friends to be educated
in such a way that they are able to translate knowledge,
appreciation, and respect into actions and attitudes?
Dialogue about this challenging topic facing schools
in the early years of the 21st century is emerging within
the international school community (Murphy, 2000).
This is a conversation for all educators to engage in,
however, not only those in international settings. We
must continue to explore, experiment, document, re-
search, and communicate with colleagues around the
globe. We must continue our work so that not only
Filippo and Angelina, but children everywhere can
learn what it is to be citizens of the world: people who
are able to respond to the challenges of global citizen-
ship with open minds as well as positive actions.
References
ECIS Directory. (1999). The international schools directory,
2999-2000 edition. Great Glemham, Suffolk, UK: John Catt.
Gillies, W. D. (1998). Children on the move: Third culture
kids. Childhood Education, 75, 36-38.
Hayden, M., &Thompson, J. (2000). International education:
Flying flags or raising standards? International Schools
Journal, 29(2), 48-56.
International School of Brussels. (1997). Our next decade-
2997-2007. Brussels: Author.
Jalongo, M. R. (1994/95). Helping children to cope with
relocation. Childhood Education, 71, 80-85.
Meek, M. S. (Ed.). (2001). Children’s literature and national
Identity. Stoke on Trent, UK: Trentham Books.
Murphy, E. (2000). Questions for the new millennium.
International Schools Journal, 29(2), 5-10.
Childhood Education, 72, 325-329. 3
Walker, G. W. (2000). One-way streets of our !
culture. lnternational Schools Journal, 19(2), 11-19.