Internationalism: Caught or Taught?
International schools should have something different about them, shouldn’t they? They should offer an International Education. We can all agree on that, but what is meant by an International Education?
This question has been and remains the focus of significant discourse and research. Does having students and faculty from many different countries ensure an international education? That’s a start. Do WorldFest and UN Day set us apart? To some extent, yes. However, an international education is more than the established three Fs: food, flags and festivals, however colorful and/or tasty they might be.
Grey Mattern, one of the pioneers of research into international education and one of the founders of the Council of International Schools (CIS), is clear that internationalism and international education do not simply happen as a result of a blend of different nationalities, languages and cultures within the institution. International education will not just evolve from such a mix “… no matter how well stirred.”
Jo Blaney, for so long a prominent figure in the International Schools of New York and Geneva, observes that the curriculum holds the key to the degree of internationalism within a school:
“ The curriculum…sets the international school system apart. The acknowledgement that the curriculum is the vital factor in setting apart international schools and therefore international education from national schools and education helps to further interpret the meaning of the ideal international school and the ideal international education.”
Is the fact that we follow the IB Primary Years and Diploma Programmes enough to ensure an international education? Certainly. These components ensure an international dimension to the curriculum. Increasingly, research suggests that to more fully internationalize the curriculum a course of study should emerge that focuses closely on what countries and cultures have in common. There is mounting opinion suggesting that a formal study of global issues is imperative in facilitating the step from the national to the international. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has itself been explicit in including this concept in its definition of international education. A 1995 UNESCO document states that, “education should provide young people with opportunities to gain knowledge about, and develop attitudes and values towards, major world issues.”
Furthermore, the latest version of the Accreditation Standards of Council of International Schools (CIS) - a body responsible for accrediting international schools - includes the following articles:
Section A: STANDARD FOUR
The school’s Philosophy and Objectives shall lead the school to act within the spirit of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Section B: STANDARD ONE
The curriculum, in its content, design, implementation, assessment and review, shall reflect the school’s philosophy, objectives and policies.
With these ideas in mind, some students at AIS started a new academic course in August. Science and Society will be a feature in the curricula of grades 8, 9 and 10. The core of the course of study will be the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the document of 1948 which states, formalizes and enshrines our global values. The UDHR, born from a period of prolonged global atrocities, is as relevant today as ever. It is one of the few aspects of the global environment that most nations have officially acknowledged. It declares that which we have in common. More so perhaps than religion, the UDHR and its implicit respect for human life and values binds nations together.
The study will extend to involve an appreciation of the function and purpose of different international organizations and their role in supporting international values and international agreements. To this effect, organizations such as the United Nations and its many varied organs will be discussed.
The role of science, its huge value to society, and its controversies, will be a prominent part of the curriculum. Issues such as cloning, global warming and stem-cell research will be examined and the overlap between science and human rights will be highlighted. Ultimately, perhaps, science is a tool by which the quality of life and standard of living of all might be improved.
The study will extend to involve an appreciation of the function and purpose of different international organizations and their role in supporting international values and international agreements. To this effect, organizations such as the United Nations and its many varied organs will be discussed.
Students will also be encouraged to consider the mechanics and philosophies of the world’s different political systems. Civics, responsibilities and the structure of societies will be explored.
What is particularly exciting about this curriculum development is the possibility of the subject material being delivered by teachers from different disciplines. History, Art, Theater, Geography, Biology – teachers from of all these areas and more can make a contribution to the teaching of Science in Society.
Follow the Science in Society program on ATLAS as it grows and develops - see AIS on the ATLAS Web site. This new course demonstrates further our school’s commitment to making sure that internationalism is taught and not caught.