International vs. National Education
Compare international and national education.
There are several models of international education.
The U.S. model follows the national education model used in America. It is not really international per se but because of America's worldwide influence and the large presence of U.S. nationals all over the world, many international schools adapt the model. The schools that follow the U.S. model often have Advanced Placement (AP) programs as their most rigorous college prepatory programs and offer SAT and ACT for college entrance exams.
The British model is similar to the U.S. model. It is still influential because there are many British foreign schools in former British colonies. Many national education systems of former British colonies follow the British model. The well known features are A-level exams, GCSE etc.
I am not very familar with the French model. The best known feature is Le baccalauréat (a.k.a. le bac), the famed high school exit exam.
International Baccalaureate is my favorite. It is probably the only true international education model. It is originally devised to help facilitate school transitions for children of diplomats. Headquartered in Geneva, it offers the programs in several different languages. Its mission is to To become an active, compassionate and lifelong learner who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right (my favorite line).
It is inevitable that the goals of national and international education should be different. National education is, in general, public and funded by government. International education is overwhelming private. National education is set up to produce citizens that meet the national standard and purpose- often those of people in power and authority. Governments inject nationalism and engineered identity by teaching "orthodox" history and "correct" viewpoints.
International education models do teach repective viewpoints and dogmas but do not insist the superiority of one over the other. It is the individual 's job to decide which one to take. Of course, the idea of "international" itself is biased. It is very European.
Having been educated under the international model myself, I prefer the international model. At least the world will become a better place if countries modify their national curriculum a bit and inject some pluralist elements.
There are several models of international education.
The U.S. model follows the national education model used in America. It is not really international per se but because of America's worldwide influence and the large presence of U.S. nationals all over the world, many international schools adapt the model. The schools that follow the U.S. model often have Advanced Placement (AP) programs as their most rigorous college prepatory programs and offer SAT and ACT for college entrance exams.
The British model is similar to the U.S. model. It is still influential because there are many British foreign schools in former British colonies. Many national education systems of former British colonies follow the British model. The well known features are A-level exams, GCSE etc.
I am not very familar with the French model. The best known feature is Le baccalauréat (a.k.a. le bac), the famed high school exit exam.
International Baccalaureate is my favorite. It is probably the only true international education model. It is originally devised to help facilitate school transitions for children of diplomats. Headquartered in Geneva, it offers the programs in several different languages. Its mission is to To become an active, compassionate and lifelong learner who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right (my favorite line).
It is inevitable that the goals of national and international education should be different. National education is, in general, public and funded by government. International education is overwhelming private. National education is set up to produce citizens that meet the national standard and purpose- often those of people in power and authority. Governments inject nationalism and engineered identity by teaching "orthodox" history and "correct" viewpoints.
International education models do teach repective viewpoints and dogmas but do not insist the superiority of one over the other. It is the individual 's job to decide which one to take. Of course, the idea of "international" itself is biased. It is very European.
Having been educated under the international model myself, I prefer the international model. At least the world will become a better place if countries modify their national curriculum a bit and inject some pluralist elements.
posted by wundermacht at 4:36 AM
1 Comments:
indeed. some international schools such as the one in singapore offer all AP, IB and GCSE. pluralistic even in its curricula offerings.
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