No choice is minor. No road is accidental
Anna Azarova arrived in the UK two months after the invasion of her home country on February 24th, 2022. In the first of two articles, she reflects on her road in 2022.
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Global Community
Developing a sustainability agenda in schools, Lisbon 2022
Veritas International Training Center want to advance an agenda for teaching sustainable living in schools, inviting educators to a new conference in Lisbon in November 2022.
An important new initiative for schools
Former international school student Angela McCarthy tells the story of the $200,000 Earth Prize for schools and how your school can get involved in the 2023 edition.
Pinnacles in reflection
International teaching can take you to some amazing places. In 2022, Susan Bennett has been working in Nauru.
The significant growth of international school groups
School groups have been a feature of international education for some time. Now they are growing in size and in number. Ashley Kirk of ISC Research looks at the phenomenon.
International schools and the war in Ukraine
Stephen Priest, Principal of the British International School of Tbilisi and Chair of Black Sea Schools Group looks at the heroism of colleagues in Ukraine and how schools have been supporting each other.
Keynote ideas from the FOBISIA Leadership Conference, 2022 and the winning entry from the 2021 FOBISIA Race4Good Journalism competition from the Year 8 Team at The British School in Tokyo.
Leading in an era of change
Room at the top
For Katie Tomlinson, addressing the gender disparity in school leadership is a matter of urgency. 7 steps are needed.
Future imperative
Is the future of learning in safe hands? Not unless we follow three imperatives according to Sir John Jones.
Compassionate Leadership
Dame Alison Peacock, considers the future of the profession during the post-Covid recovery.
Challenge and response
Critical incidents cause distress. Responding in the wrong way makes things worse. Ian Gross looks at the issues..
Leadership pivot
Ever had that moment when your words lack meaning? Diana Osagie makes the case for 'the leadership pivot'.
Ways forward
According to Lord Jim Knight, dealing with Covid came at a cost, but ways to improve teacher wellbeing are also here.
One family at a time
The winning entry of the 2021 FOBISIA R4G Journalism competition from The British School in Tokyo
Are schools only paying lip-service to international mindedness?
Often discussed, sometimes defined – but what does being internationally-minded really mean? Nalini Cook discusses the issue with Chris Allen and Anson Wong.
A new model for humanitarian action
Winner of the FOBISIA – ITM Race4Good Journalism competition, 2021 – 2
Oscar Perring, Mira Vonna-Michell, Maho Fukuda and Sapphire Barker consider a very different approach to supporting global communities who need assistance.
Supporting the vaccination of refugees in Malaysia
Chika Kumashiro-Wilms tells how a simple question asked at school led to a major logistical effort to assist with the vaccination of some refugee communities in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Catalysing community-led change
Supporting projects in low-income contexts can reinforce inequalities between ‘supporters’ and ‘activists’ on the ground. EduSpots is a project based in Ghana that aims to address post-colonial issues head on. Cat Davison reports.
Building empathy through immersive digital storytelling
Serdar Ferit and Harriet Marshall look at the power of digital storytelling to build empathy and widen student horizons.
Supporting indigenous education in Malaysia
The education of marginalised children has been highlighted by the pandemic. However, empathetic interventions which gain the confidence of communities can and do work, as Susan Bennett reports.
Environmental challenge for students aged 10 – 15
Charlotte Bouchier has news of a new competition for schools enabling students to explore key environmental issues in the lead up to COP26.
Holly Sullivan looks at how drama teachers in Asia found ways to collaborate online during lockdown, setting up links which will continue even when campuses reopen.
Measuring the social and emotional skills of 10 and 15 year olds
A recent study by the OECD strikingly confirms the importance of holistic education. Andreas Schleicher looks at the outcomes of their 2018-20 global Survey of Social and Emotional Skills.
Call for nominations
Nominations for the International School Awards 2022, hosted by ISC Research are open until 30th September. Anne Keeling reports.
Resetting service learning programs
In the context of continuing uncertainty, Megan Flottorp asks service learning guru, Cathryn Berger Kaye how schools can develop their programmes for ‘21-‘22.
The most important future skill
Two keynotes. Two stories. One message about the future, and it might not be what you were expecting. Reflections on the COBIS 2021 conference from Andy Homden.
The importance of external space and environmental design in schools.
Architect Ian Bogle reflects on how a school’s interior must connect with its external environment for great learning to take place.
“There is more in you than you think”
Phil Mathe looks at the profound international legacy of one of the twentieth century’s greatest educational thinkers. You may not have heard of him but his influence suffuses international education.
Teacher training in rural Nepal
For Fionna Heiton, the key to a good education in rural Nepal is they same as everywhere else – get the Early Years right. A new teacher training initiative is making this possible.
Leading in a Climate of Change: COBIS Annual Conference, May 10 – 13, 2021
Colin Bell, CEO of the Council of British International Schools extends an open invitation to members and non-members to attend this year’s Conference.
Adopting an Environmental Social Governance code at school
Lisa Walsh thinks that the adoption of Environmental Social Governance codes by an increasing number of companies could – and should – be an example for school Boards.
‘It is what it is, and we are where we are’.
Imagining a ‘new normal’ is backward looking, argues Ger Graus. For Ger, it’s time to build on what we have learned in 2020, move on to create genuine opportunity for all children, globally.
Supporting local staff in international schools
According to Henry Wong, helping local staff understand the micro-culture in which they work is as essential as orientating new international staff when they arrive.
Helping Uganda Schools
Set up to provide a great education in self-supporting schools, HUGS is a model for the development of low-cost, sustainable learning, as Dr. Richard Bircher reports.
New FOBISIA inter-school event takes off during lockdown
Andy Homden looks at a competition for international schools that simply would not have happened without lockdown, and seems destined to grow quickly.
Get them outside!
Covid has brought home the value of getting outside. Nicholas Chaddock looks at why reevaluating the importance of outdoor education is so important for all of us in 2021.
The Association of International School Teaching Assistants and PD for TAs
The way a school approaches training says a lot about its culture, according to Peter Hogan, who looks at new CPD opportunities for TAs with AISTA.
Achieving deep awareness
For Felicity Gunn, enhanced intercultural mindedness, when practiced by the whole community, can take any school or business to new heights.
Picking up the baton
It’s been a long time since Ken Robinson’s famous TED talk in 2006. Andy Homden asks whether the baton of the learning revolution has been picked up by a new champion who is already putting ideas into practice on a large scale.
The impact of Covid-19 on school design
The prolonged closures of schools in 2020 has been shocking. How should new schools be designed to prevent a future calamity on this scale? Andy Homden considers the phoenix of school design that could rise from the ashes of Covid-19.
Singing in a global choir
Young people in schools around the world are fighting back against Covid-19 with music. Laurie Lewin invites your school to join in.
Don’t judge a book by its cover
Gwen Byrom thinks we need to see school-home communication from a parent’s perspective to avoid problems arising from our own misconceptions.
Community based teacher training in rural Nepal
Fionna Heiton looks at how a new approach to teacher training is beginning to make a difference to the lives of children in a remote district near Pokhara.
Learning does not live in a vacuum
In the latest of a series of articles about the Common ground Collaborative Kevin Bartlett explains how the Common Ground Collaborative focuses on learning that matters.
Pandemic and response: the emerging picture
International education has been reeling under the pressure of Covid-19, but schools have shown great resilience. What is in fact going on? Will Bedford has the very latest data from ISC Research.
Converting a school’s student population from fluid to solid
Esther Clark looks at online opportunities available for international schools to offer greater breadth and stronger continuity of education for their students.
Unconscious bias in international schools
In the light of questions being asked about racism in 2020, Gwen Byrom thinks we all need to take a hard look at the cultural climate in which international learning is taking place.
Closing the online learning gap
Derek Devine thinks that distance learning can be personalised without adding to the pressure that teachers are already under – quite the reverse in fact.
Transforming Early Years education in the Himalayas
When they were living in Nepal with their twin toddlers, it was difficult for teacher Fionna Heiton and her partner Durga Aran to ignore the challenges faced by local schools. Fionna takes up the story.
Schools and animal welfare
Nicky Cook looks at a new service project involving animal welfare and invites international schools around the world to get involved.
Dipping into online learning as an adult
Having had a long and very happy association with distance learning, Professor Helen Bilton of the University of Reading suggests it opens up new worlds for adults as well as for children.
The Asian Century is well underway
Dr Stephen M. Whitehead looks at how the default position that ‘West is best’ is being questioned in Asia more than ever. What this might mean for international education?
Practising what we teach
Design Technology teacher Joan Brown looks at how schools in Wales became involved in the design and manufacture of PPE, and found themselves at the heart of a global movement.
Parents and students in lockdown
Janice Ireland talks with Henk van Hout, Global Head of Shell Education Services, about how students and parents are coping with lockdown and the demands of remote learning.
Reading the world for children
Orla Redmond has set herself the lockdown task of compiling a reading list of favourite children’s books set in different countries around the world. She needs your help!
The impact of coronavirus as China’s international schools prepare to reopen
Stephanie Quayle of ISC Research looks at how schools may be coming through the lockdown phase in China, and what we can all learn from their experience.
Remote learning during COVID-19
It’s been a learning curve for all of us, and we now need to learn from each other. Here we speak to three schools, two in China and one in Kuwait to find out how they have adapted to the lockdown.