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International school

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International schools are places where students learn in a global way.

Harrow International School Bangkok
Harrow International School Bangkok

These schools can be public or private, but most are private. They are special because they have students and teachers from many different countries. Students often learn in more than one language. This helps them understand different cultures and become world citizens. They focus on ideas like pluralism and intercultural understanding. This means learning to respect many different ways of living.

These schools use a special set of lessons called a curriculum. Many use programs from the United Kingdom or the United States. Some use the International Baccalaureate, which is a global program. Other schools use the Cambridge International Education or the European Baccalaureate. These lessons teach subjects like math, science, and the arts. They also teach how to work together and be independent. Some schools even offer special classes for English as a second language.

History shows us how these schools began a long time ago. The first international school was started in 1924. It was called the International School of Geneva. Two people, Arthur Sweetser and Ludwik Rajchman, founded it. They wanted to focus on bilingual education using English and French. Later in 1924, the Yokohama International School opened in Japan. These early schools helped children of families who moved for work. This included children of diplomats, missionaries, and military members.

There are many facts about how these schools are growing. In 2011, there were 7,655 registered international schools in the world. By July 2021, that number grew to 12,373 schools. The number of students has also gone up a lot. It rose from 3.54 million in 2011 to 5.68 million recently. Many new schools are opening in Asia and the Middle East. For example, enrollment in the Middle East grew by 20% since 2015. South Asia saw a very large jump of 64.6% during that same time.

International schools connect students to the whole wide world. They help people move between different countries for jobs. Because students move so often, some are called "third culture kids." This means they grow up with many different cultures at once. Some students feel they do not have just one single home. However, these schools help people overcome cultural barriers. They help students get ready for higher education in many different lands.

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