18 | EDUCATION ASIA | PEOPLE | Leadership Insights
Across all school models, some changes have been practical, newsletters in the local language for example, while others are more fundamental. The rise of bilingual schools in China and elsewhere is a sign of schools meeting the needs of parents who want an international style education but don’t want their children to lose their linguistic or cultural identity.
There is now the choice of two or three long-established heritage schools (such as mine), schools catering to specific curricula such as the Canadian and Australian, and now a choice of four UK franchised schools.
A s an ex-Mathematics teacher, I enjoy the symmetry of 17 years in Dubai and now 17 years outside Dubai. Time to retire?! There is nothing worse than an ex-expatriate pontificating on the way things were so, given the dramatic change in the Emirates since I left in 2010, I’ll stick to comments on changes in South East Asia where I am now, although I think there is some overlap. The two big (and linked) changes in international education over the last three decades are the explosion of the number of schools and the changing market (in most countries) to an increased local population. Schools have had to adjust to both these factors. Schools have had to adapt to the changing demographic. Parents pay the fees for the product on offer so this is a balancing act. Change too much and you lose your USP. Keep to a highly UK-centric model and you alienate your learners (and possibly parents), or don’t attract them in the first place. A Crowded Market With A Local Face It’s therefore ironic that a significant percentage of the international school expansion has been led by (mainly) British independent schools franchising themselves to local partners. The most successful of these schools have shown remarkable agility as they enter the market.
“It’s easy to be the best school in the city when there are only a few.”
“Change too much and you lose your USP. Keep to a highly UK-centric model and you alienate your learners.”
The upshot is the plethora of choice parents (and staff) now have. Even in quieter markets such as Cambodia, where I currently am, the options have grown remarkably.
Powered by FlippingBook