Photography Andy Catterall.
By Uhuru Tyrie-Socha.
For parents living and working abroad, selecting a suitable school for their children is one of the first priorities in any posting. For the majority, an international school is the obvious choice – lessons offered in the English language, smaller class sizes, excellent facilities and top class teachers are all appealing concepts for most parents – however, these are not the only reasons why so many parents make this choice.
The attraction of an international school education filters way beyond the confines of the classroom, as it provides students with the opportunity to learn and interact within a truly culturally diverse environment, promoting a broadminded spirit of acceptance and interest in other beliefs and values.
The global popularity of international schools is evidenced by UK-based International School Consultancy Group (ISC), whose recent research revealed a global increase in the number of students in international schools.
During the past 10 years the market has doubled in size with now more than 6,000 international schools across the world, and almost 10,000 further schools predicted to open before 2021. In just 12 months, student numbers have risen from 3.3 million in 2013, to 3.6 million last year.
Since opening its doors in The Hague more than 80 years ago, The British School in The Netherlands (BSN) has seen a huge number of changes. Not only has the school transformed in relation to its size and location, but perhaps more specifically, the BSN has evolved enormously in terms of the international makeup of its students, who now represent some eighty five nationalities. The school was founded on the principles of developing and challenging the whole individual, producing students with high aspirations and confident independence – these principles still stand at the BSN today, with the school priding itself on the fostering of strong values such as mutual understanding, respect for others and high personal endeavour.
The BSN caters for the children of many diplomats and Embassy staff located in The Hague, as well as for numerous international organisations and corporations who have their headquarters in and around the city. With around 2,250 students aged 3-18 years, spread across 4 campuses in The Hague area, the BSN is the international school of choice for more families than any other.
The rich diversity of the BSN community is deeply entwined into the school’s fabric, providing a unique dimension to the school ethos and character. The global exposure that students and children experience during their time at the school enables them to connect with each other’s cultures – in the classroom and beyond – as well as develop a strong understanding of different traditions, values and beliefs from a very early age. This is combined with a curriculum built on solid British foundations, providing a uniquely distinctive educational experience for the students.
The global reputation of the UK education system, coupled with a modern and innovative approach to teaching and learning which fosters an early acceptance of responsibility for one’s own learning, are some of the reasons many parents opt to buy into the British education system.
Following a UK curriculum means the BSN, together with other British international schools worldwide, can draw on a large pool of highly qualified teachers. Furthermore it’s broadly recognised that British school-leaving qualifications provide a passport to universities across the world – whilst many European countries accept each other’s qualifications for university entrance, A-levels are also respected further afield in countries including the USA and Canada, therefore providing students with access to some of the top institutions in the world. That said, the BSN actually provides the best of both worlds by offering a choice between the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma or IB Career Related Programme and the traditional British A Level route, during the final two years of schooling.
The Association of Graduate Recruiters recently observed that many employers have problems in recruiting for graduate positions, citing a lack of candidates equipped with the necessary skills and experiences required by international organisations. As the term ‘Global Graduates’ becomes the buzz phrase amongst employers and universities, it becomes increasingly important for students to develop exactly the kind of skills they learn in an international school environment.
British International Schools around the globe, offer an exceptionally unique educational experience, blending the quality of the world renowned British education system, with a distinctively international dimension. The popularity of the BSN’s approach continues to grow – its Internationally British approach helping differentiate it from other local international schools and attracting not just expatriates from all over the world, but also an increasing number of internationally minded Dutch families as well.
Fact File – The global appeal of the UK-based curriculum is underlined by figures showing that it has by far the largest share of the international education market. ISC Research indicates that 3,115 international schools use a UK-based curriculum, leading to GCSEs and A-levels. This represents 41 per cent of the international schools market, making it more than twice as popular as the next most widely chosen, the International Baccalaureate, which is taught by 17 per cent of international schools.
