International school

An International school is loosely defined as a school that promotes international education, either by adopting an international curriculum such as that of the International Baccalaureate, or by following a national curriculum different from that of the country the school is located in. These schools cater mainly to students who are not nationals of the host country, such as the children of the staff of international businesses, international organizations, foreign embassies, missions, or missionary programs. Many local students attend these schools to learn the language of the international school and to obtain qualifications for employment or higher education in a foreign country. International schools can be either private or public. In April 2007 there were 4,179 ‘English-speaking international schools’^[1].

Establishment

The first International schools were founded in the latter half of the 19th century in countries such as Japan, Switzerland and Turkey.^{[citation needed]} Early International schools were set up with the help of nations having large interests in the hosting nation. An exception to this rule being Robert College in Istanbul.^{[citation needed]}

Curriculum

International schools typically use curricula based on the school's country of origin. The most common international schools represent Education in the United Kingdom or Education in the United States. Many international schools use curricula specially designed for international school such as the International General Certificate of Secondary Education or the IB Diploma Programme. Like other schools, international schools teach the subjects such as language arts, mathematics, the sciences, humanities, the arts, physical education, information technology, and design technology. More recent developments specifically for primary school include the IBs Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the fast growing International Primary Curriculum (IPC).

Faculty

Faculty at International Schools are usually from or certified by the standards of their country of origin. However there are many exceptions. The most common exception is when the international school requires a teacher trained specifically for an international syllabus or for teaching a foreign language rare to the international school's country of origin.

Recruitment

Hiring is frequently done at large international job fairs where schools can interview and hire several teachers at once.^{[citation needed]} There are also a handful of agencies which specialise in recruiting international teachers. Over the years it has become harder to recruit young international teachers, partly because of international security fears, partly because the compensation packages are not as attractive as they used to be ^[1]. In some countries such as South Korea, recent visa changes have also made it more difficult to obtain both qualified and unqualified teachers.

See also

• List of international schools
• Council of International Schools
• European Council of International Schools

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Teachers International Consultancy (2008-07-17). "The Quiet Crisis in Recruitment". http://www.ticrecruitment.com/newsdetails.php?newsid=16. Retrieved 2008-12-09. 

External links

• International Schools at the Open Directory Project

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