International Schooling

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International Schooling:  The Teacher’s Guide

The move to teaching overseas is one of the biggest, and most exciting, career transitions and life adventures many teachers ever make. The Teacher’s Guide ensures that you get the most out of the journey. 

Across 400 pages, the collected wisdom of hundreds of international teachers and school leaders, saves you time, missteps, mishaps, and money. A fun, engaging and highly practical read, the book is filled with tips and advice for careers in international schools.

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CHAPTER 20

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM:  TACKLING DIVERSITY

A 15 MINUTE READ

The world of international schooling can be a rarefied, exclusive space. In parts of the world, international schools exist alongside extreme poverty, deprivation, inequality and ingrained prejudice.

This duality of privilege and privation can be explicit. For example, on the daily commute to school: In some countries, and for some teachers, that route to school might be lined with stinking canals, cardboard and corrugated dwellings; the housing of undocumented migrants and the wretched poor. In contrast, the school may be very, very different: carparks filled with Mercedes, BMWs, and Porsche 4x4s; landscaped gardens introducing a seemingly endless vista of playing fields, tennis courts and swimming pools; all populated by well behaved, happy, smiling students and busy staff; and enclosed behind high walls and security cameras, protected by uniformed security guards smartly saluting the teachers on arrival.

For a teacher perhaps more used to confronting social deprivation in the classroom and the behavioural quirks of underfed, disenfranchised, and often angry state school students, the international environment is perhaps as close to a working paradise as they’ll find on earth.

But even this earthly utopia can have its less endearing side: This chapter is an overview of diversity in international schools, with a particular focus on gender and race. We can’t hope to capture all of the issues, nuances and challenges, certainly not in only a few thousand words. Our aim is simply to give you a sense of the world you will be entering or are currently working in: how international, in other words how diverse, is ‘international’ schooling?

GENDER ISSUES

Gender continues to be both a central aspect of our identity and a highly politicised one. Whether we are born male or female will have an enormous impact on our lives and experiences. And this is no less true if you are a teacher working in an international school, especially if you aspire to a leadership position.

Leadership

According to research, 80% of international schoolteachers are female, but the percentage of female heads of international schools is currently stuck at around 33%. So, if you are an ambitious young female teacher, be prepared to negotiate what can sometimes, and at some schools, feel like a ‘boy’s club’.

Even for those women who do make it into senior management, there is the reality of having to work in a leadership environment which (again, at some schools) is unreflectively masculinist; where management meetings and everyday practices orientate towards the male, not the female, leaving female managers having to constantly ensure they neither pander to female stereotypes, nor succumb to adopting a traditional take on masculine leadership.

Are female teachers routinely discriminated against and treated unequally in international schools? No. But there is no doubt the whole international school industry has been slow to adapt to 21st century workplace practices now common in other sectors, especially regarding organisational and leadership inclusivity.

That said, there are now powerful female actors emerging in international schools who recognise the problem and are set on challenging it and changing it. One such women is Deborah Eyre. She has been active at trying to ensure education is more progressive when it comes to gender representation. She noted of Nord Anglia (where she was previously Education Director) that a good gender split at teacher level wasn’t reflected at other levels:

“At senior levels it is less rosy, especially at Principal level. But the female Principals we have are among our very best. So, what is happening?” (Eyre, 2014)

Deborah Eyre

As Eyre and others have noticed, the fact that women are not dominating international education leadership is strange because females dominate education. What we see, therefore, is international education reflecting gender problems across society:

“The international school question is just a magnified version of a wider problem in the education system.  Possibilities and aspirations for women have both increased, but the workplace hasn’t really adapted.” (loc. cit.)

Deborah Eyre

What this tells us is that for at least 30 years, and very likely much longer, women have been deterred from applying for senior leadership positions in schools, and that problem is now a major one for international schools. With Generation Y now coming into the workplace, to be shortly followed by Generation Z things must change and fast. Because, as Deborah Eyre and many sociologists now recognise, these younger generations have “been bred for success” and have had their aspirations raised. Consequently, as Deborah notes, they are “not going to accept the status quo” (loc. cit.).

Generation Y: Born between 1980 and the mid 1990s, these are the ‘Millennials’. Gen Y have lived all their formative years immersed in globalisation, new forms of work and organisation, technological communication, and the use and potential of the internet. In many respects, this generation is the ‘natural’ bridge between the Baby Boomers (aged 60+) and Generation Z.

Generation Z: Also referred to as ‘Centennials’, born between the mid 1990s and 2010. This tech savvy generation are social media natives, are better educated than any previous generation, and are overturning traditional ideas of gender, sexual identities, relationships and social justice.

Another significant change agent in international schools is Ruth Sanderson (at the time of writing, Senior VP and Head of Secondary at Doha College). Ruth undertook MBA research (later published4) which looked at barriers to female managers’ progression in international schools. Her study concluded:

“The biggest barrier is male Senior Administrators. The attitudes and practices of this layer of management need to be onboard for change if change is to happen without conflict.” (Sanderson and Whitehead, 2016)

The male network, or boy’s club, works (historically, at least) in a very effective way across international schooling by ensuring that senior managers continue to recruit in their own image – i.e. males recruit like-minded males. For evidence of this, look at any conference of Heads or Principals; it probably won’t take long to count the females. For Ruth and her research subjects, to date, not enough men have been willing to step in and support, rather than stifle, women’s steps on the ladder. The boy’s club stays as the boy’s club, because, well, that’s how the old boy’s like it.

Whilst men need to recognise and reflect on this situation, the reality facing women is that, if change is to come about, it can only come from women bringing it about. First and foremost, as the participants in Ruth’s study noted, developing self-confidence and belief in their own ability is a must for women aspiring to international school leadership. Not least because it enables them to reject any gender stereotypes which might arise from male leaders but, equally, because to break the old boy’s strangle-hold, more women need to apply for leadership posts.

Patriarchy, sexuality and stereotypes

If you’ve been raised in a liberal country and embraced the principles and politics of the #MeToo Movement, then moving to some parts of the world can be a salutary experience.

Global society contains a potpourri of responses to LGBTQ+ identities, women’s empowerment, sexism, misogyny, equal opportunities and feminism.

You won’t need this book to list the countries and regions to watch out for if you are an LGBTQ+ person and/or a woman with an opinion and a voice. How you handle the cultural and social stereotypes embedded in local patriarchal attitudes will likely influence how much you enjoy the job of international schoolteacher, but you may well be confronted by some very reactionary and conservative attitudes, certainly outside the school gates, and possibly in the classroom, with your students.

On the plus side, global research clearly shows that homosexuality is gathering greater acceptance and tolerance, even in those countries where same-sex relationships have long been sanctioned under law and religious diktat.

The number of countries legalising same sex marriage increases each year, and at time of writing has reached 29; up from one (Netherlands) in 2000.5 The Philippines and Vietnam are both working towards a similar law, while Thailand legalised civil partnerships in 2020. In tandem with a liberalisation of gender and sexual attitudes, in September 2017 Canada became the 10th country to offer its citizens gender-neutral passports, while in August 2019, Kenya became the first African country to include intersex people in their national population census, an important step forward for LGBT+ rights in Africa.

On the minus side, while there are some Muslim organisations that support LGBTQ+ rights, same-sex relations are criminalised in many Muslim societies and, to a greater or lesser extent, prejudice exists in much of the Islamic world. Likewise in many Christian societies, especially in Africa. In April 2019, the Sultan of Brunei caused a global outrage for deciding to implement death by stoning as a punishment for homosexuality, though the scale of the condemnation eventually forced him to declare a (temporary) moratorium. To date, there remain over 70 countries where gay relationships are criminalised.

Even in more liberal societies seeking to promote LGBTQ+ awareness, resistance can be powerfully manifest, as has been the case with several schools in Birmingham, England, which are introducing LGBTQ+ inclusive lessons. The rise of the alt-right, especially in Eastern and Western Europe, has seen a dramatic increase in anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes, leading to homophobic attacks on both lesbian and gay people. Illustrative of the rise in homophobia in Europe, in July 2019 the Polish ruling party declared ‘LGBT-free zones’ in Polish cities and provinces.

These are just some of the identity realities you will have to negotiate as an international schoolteacher. Sure, they can be found almost everywhere. The difference is, if you encounter them in an international school which has declared its mission ‘the development of global mindedness’, then very quickly you’ll realise that what you teach in the classroom can all too often be offset by the messages students receive at home and in their local community and national culture.

Does this then mean you should become complicit in the reinforcement of gender and sexual stereotypes in your school? Most definitely not. While you may need to remain silent at times, especially when faced with sexist ideas and practices emanating from a school’s parents, your professional duty is always to promote enlightenment, not ignorance.

RACE ISSUES

No country or region can claim to be free of racism and xenophobia. These cancers fester everywhere and quickly surface when populations are under economic, social and political stress. This was particularly evident during the Covid-19 pandemic, during which Asians were subjected to racist abuse and even physical attacks in the US, Canada and the UK, while many foreigners, Africans especially, experienced discrimination and racism in China and parts of East Asia.

Unfortunately, at this point we have to be candid: If you are of Black or Indian origin (perhaps even if you are a Black American or British Indian) then you are going to experience racist attitudes in many parts of Asia. You hopefully won’t experience such in your international school, at least not with colleagues, but you will be perceived differently by many parents. Partly this is to do with ignorance (all racism stems from ignorance) and partly it is to do with the toxic heritage of white colonialist ideology dispersed across the world during the age of Western imperialism. You may also face discrimination during recruitment, ‘native speakers’ (however defined) often being preferred.

As we’ve covered elsewhere in this book, when it comes to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) representation at the top of international schools, there is very little. Finding a black or brown face among the WASP (White Anglo– Saxon Protestant) males who dominate international education (and certainly its upper tiers) is like looking for a needle in a large and growing haystack.

This dismal representation of Black teachers and leaders in international schools is now a serious problem and one which we hope will soon be eradicated. Not only is it demonstrating prejudice against a significant part of the global educational profession, it signals, as Nunana Nyomi, Associate Director of Higher Education Services for the Council of International Schools puts it, that as far as international schools are concerned, “the concept and cause of global citizenship is being built largely for the world’s elite”.

Against this backdrop, should BAME teachers be dissuaded from applying for positions in international schools in certain parts of the world, notably East and South East Asia? Definitely not. Many international schools across that region have excellent multicultural and diverse ethnic representation. As with any organisation, it primarily comes down to the attitude of the leaders and, as one would expect, international school leaders are overwhelmingly liberal minded, multicultural and anti-racist.

So why is there sometimes a racist problem?

As we’ve indicated, it can arise with some parents, especially Asian parents who have grown up believing that Western education excellence = White, and that Western educational leadership = White male. These entrenched and often historic stereotypes are not easily shifted, though every BAME person who works in an international school is living proof of the ridiculousness of such thinking.

But we should also recognise that White racist attitudes towards Black people are often embedded in institutional attitudes and assumptions. In other words, racism often manifests as bias. For example, Francis Chapuredima, of the Qatar Leadership Academy, in an article entitled ‘Do I have to be a native English speaker to teach children in an international school?’, asks the question:

“Are we not excluding talented individuals who could enrich our students’ experiences simply because they are not native English speakers? Who is a native English speaker? Do we have a running definition?”

If you are a Black teacher considering applying to work in international schools, then at some point this question will arise in your mind. And, faced with a market which has a strong bias towards ‘native English speakers’ (for which read white, Western English speakers), you may well conclude that many parts of the world still have a long way to go before they truly understand why Black Lives Matter.

DIVERSITY

The best international schools (and by ‘best’ we mean those with the most enlightened owners and leaders) will disregard gender, sexuality, race, religion and ethnicity when considering making appointments, whether it be for support staff, administration, teaching, or senior management positions. If international schools do not operate as a true inclusive meritocracy then they are going against not only their own mission and vision, but against the inherent values of international education, not least global mindedness, inter- culturation, community togetherness, critical thinking, empathy and creative thinking.

Fundamentally, even if (nay, especially if) an international school occupies a rarefied, privileged and exclusive space in a particular community, it must promote a diverse and inclusive professional culture at every level and in every aspect. This is the duality facing not just the school owners and leaders, but you as a teacher.

A few tips for spotting whether or not an international school values diversity:

1. Does the school have an LGBTQ+ group, ideally formed by older students but also with staff membership? In some countries this would be impossible, but not in most.

2. Does the school have a gender-neutral toilet? If it has then you can be fairly sure the school has enlightened leaders who value diversity.

3. Who are the school counsellors and what is their background? The best international school counsellors will actively support LGBTQ+ and anti-sexist professional development and learning. Check their staff profiles.

4. What sort of extra-curricular activities do the older students undertake? Look for charity work, NGO activities, fundraising for disadvantaged groups in the community.

5. Check the school website and look to see the ethnic and gender identities of the staff, especially the senior teachers and leaders. The more mixed, the better. What images are being promoted and highlighted? What appears to be its ‘value system’? What are its mission and vision? Who is the Principal and what is the essence of their website ‘message’? What practices can you discern from the website which support any claim to diversity and global mindedness?

6. Is the school fixated on getting a percentage of its students to Oxbridge or Harvard/Yale? If so, this again rings alarm bells. Not that this is altogether negative, but educational excellence shouldn’t be considered more important than developing a rounded student, able to confidently function in a globalised, multicultural, world.

7. What evidence is there that the school is trying to ‘educate’ the parents into fully appreciating and supporting its multicultural mission? This is becoming a crucial aspect of the successful international school, for the reasons discussed in this and earlier chapters.

8. What types of professional development opportunities are open to staff? The more progressive an international school, the more likely it will be encouraging personal development which explores gender, sexuality and racist issues.

9. If you do find Black staff working in an international school, what are their roles? What positions of power and authority do they have?

10. If you get to visit an international school, look to see what icons the school is promoting in its corridors, classrooms, etc. If it is all white male faces, then that should ring alarm bells. If the school is, say, promoting female leaders and different religions, then that is much more positive. How many photos of influential women? How many of influential Black people?

POSTSCRIPT

As we have stressed throughout this book, international schools may exist in countries and regions where discrimination and inequality are rampant, where particular religious and ideological beliefs prevail, but within the international school grounds, from classroom to staffroom, such attitudes should not be tolerated. They must be sensitively but progressively challenged and every teacher must actively promote the simple but immensely important goal of social inclusivity.

Our (admittedly, very blunt) advice: whereas a homophobic or racist teacher may be able to continue their professional practice if they happen to live and work in a homophobic and racist environment, this is not the case with international schools. If you do not support liberalism, anti-racism, non- sexism, and anti-homophobic beliefs and practices, then you should reconsider your place in the world of international schools. Indeed, your place in education.

FURTHER READING

For further reading, do an internet search for: ‘Female Leadership in International Schools’ in EDDi Edition XVII (May, 2020) and ‘Black Lives Matter and International Education’ in EDDi Edition XIX (eddi.substack.com)

ENDNOTES

1. Sanderson, R. E. and Whitehead. S., (2016) The gendered international school: barriers to women managers progression, Education + Training, Vol. 58, No. 3, pp. 328–338.

2. Bourke, J. and Espedido, A., (2019) Why Inclusive Leaders Are Good for Organizations, and How to become One, Harvard Business Review (March 29, 2019).

3. Eyre, D., (2014) Why do so few women apply for jobs in international schools?, The Guardian, December 2nd 2014 [Online], accessed via: theguardian.com/teacher-network/2014/dec/02/ few-women-apply-top-international-teaching-jobs, accessed on: August 26th 2020.

4. Sanderson, R. E. and Whitehead. S., (2016) The gendered international school: barriers to women managers progression, Education + Training, Vol. 58, No. 3, pp. 328–338.

5. Tang, E. and Hauler, L., (2020) Here are the 29 countries where same-sex marriage is officially legal, Good Morning America, June 18th 2020 [Online], goodmorningamerica.com/culture/ story/29-countries-sex-marriage-officially-legal-56041136, accessed: 7th August 2020.

6. Daily Nation (2019) Kenya census to include male, female and intersex citizens, Daily Nation, July 27th 2019 [Online], accessed via: nation.co.ke/news/Kenya-census-include-male--female-intersex-citizens-/1056-5212620-7k4fyz/index.html, accessed on: accessed 7th August 2020.

7. Noack, R. (2019) Polish cities and provinces declare ‘LGBT-free zones’ as government ramps up ‘hate speech’, Independent, 20th July 2019 [Online], accessed via: independent.co.uk/news/ world/europe/poland-lgbt-free-zones-homophobia-hate-speechlaw-justice-party-a9013551.html, accessed 7th August 2020.

8. Nyomi, N., (2020) International education perpetuates structural racism and anti-racism is the solution, CIS Perspectives, June 10th, 2020 [Online], accessed via: cois.org/about-cis/news/ post/~board/perspectives-blog/post/international-education-perpetuates-structural-racism-and-anti-racism-is-the-solution.

9. Chapuredima, F. T., (2020) International Schools and Parents, Do I Have to Be a Native English Speaker to Teach Your Child?’, The International Educator, June 5th 2020 [Online], accessed via: tieonline.com/article/2711/international-schools-and-parents-do-i-have-to-be-a-native-english-speaker-to-teach-yourchild.

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