SE
O T N I O
NA
E
D C U T C I A
N M A E R T I C L E S
“COMPARE THE
SITUATION NOWADAYS,
IB BECOMES MORE LIKE
A BUSINESS AND THE
TICKET TO A PROMISING
FUTURE.”
At this point, you might say that is why we daily life. Moreover, the ISC report showed need to separate IB programs from the national the total number of K-12 English-medium educational planning. Yet international schools international schools worldwide at 8,489, with still have its own issues that even raise more about 1,504 such schools located in the Middle unsolved question. One biggest concern is that East, which shows the potential income for international schools exclude the students from international schools business in the world. The low income family, accelerate the inequality of question is why there are so many international society, and consolidate the hierarchy among schools growing popularity in non- English different classes. The typical example of that speaking countries? One of the reasons said by is our school, Education of University in Hong British study center (BSC) is that “[k]nowing Kong. The tuition for each semester in Eduhk English increases your chances of getting a costs 70 thousand HKD, while it only costs 5 good job in a multinational company within your thousand HKD to study the public university home country or of finding work abroad.” BSC in Taiwan. That is, the same amount of money strongly advertises the usefulness for learning you spend on Eduhk for each semester can be English and makes parents believe that English used to study Taiwan’s university for four years. is a tool leading you to a promising future. And The truth is, education is too costly. For other guess what? Parents, especially the rich families programs I heard, you need to pay even more in Middle East, are willing to pay the high if you want to join the activities. You might say tuition, send their kids to international schools Eduhk is not the same as international schools, and obtain qualifications for higher education but the purpose and functions are similar. For in a foreign country. New schools, both private both university and international schools, the and public, have been created to address this money matters, and is the only thing matters. growing need and trend. As Brummitt of ISC Sadly, even though education allows those in projects, “The greatest demand will continue poorer classes a chance to move up, it fails in to come from increasingly wealthy families in it international. IB does not stands for the only
many critical ways. For instance, better schools Asia, including the Middle East, wanting an way to teach internationally. The view is echoed
mean better equipment, better books, and English-medium education for their children.”To by Connie Buford, Regional Educational officer
better teachers, all of which remain beyond the fill this need and fulfill this strong demand in the for the Office of Overseas Schools at the U.S.
poverty line’s pay grade, so higher education global markets, international schools serve as State Department. “As obvious as it may seem,
becomes exclusive to higher classes, leaving the perfect passport to university by providing the exact definition of an international school
people of lower classes with much less to work English- medium courses. Today many of these is really hard to pin down.”Even though local
with, as well as fewer opportunities. Same emerging schools consist of local national schools are not using IB, it does not mean
as the social theorist Pierre Bourdieu (1930– students whose parents and educators recognize teachers cannot put all of these students together
2002) has said, financial capital contributes that in order to be competitive and fully prepared with a common curriculum and outward focus
to social reproduction in society. Your income for today’s economy a more global perspective that prepared them to attend university in any
will affect the university you choose, and for is needed. country of the world, and ultimately, prepared
them to live and work anywhere in the world.
those who choose the more prestigious school,
they usually have a more promising future. There is a concern about whether the system of Moreover, Bourdieu argued that capital formed public education is in crisis or not. The answer Compare the situation nowadays, IB becomes
the foundation of social life and dictated one’s to that question, I believe, is yes and no. At its more like a business and the ticket to a promising
position within the social order. core, education is all meant to make students future. Yet the aim at improving students’ global
a better person, not to fail the students. The view is a thing that every teachers should
In addition, the UAE has the most number of international school put all of these students strive for, not just an advertising slogan for
English-medium international schools, with together with a common curriculum and outward some international schools. Today’s students
589 such schools; following the UAE, other focus that prepared them to attend university need “twenty-first-century skills,” like critical
countries which figured in the top 10 include in any country of the world, and ultimately, thinking, problem solving, creativity, and digital
China (550), Pakistan (455), India (408) and prepared them to live and work anywhere in the literacy, which is not the courses only provided
Spain (353), according to the International world. Speaking frankly, the same concept also by IB programs, but a thing that every teacher
Schools Consultancy (ISC). It seems that most appears in the local curriculum, but just being should strive for.
of the international schools are built in non- put in different ways. Back in our school days, English speaking countries; that is, English is we also learn international culture, history and not the most common language they use in their perspectives, and those hallmark features make
3 6 JULIE
U N I V LIN
E R S 林佳璉
AL MAGAZINE
MARCH 2011