Diversity and inclusion in international schools

One of the things I love most is studying human nature, understanding different perspectives, and what people find valuable and worthy.  I guess that's why my first degree was in Sociology and Philosophy before I headed into the world of education and international schools. As an international educator, this interest in different ways of being has served me well, since my role requires an inclusive mindset and an awareness of my own biases.  Over the years I have experienced firsthand how culture, nationality, and ethnicity shape our beliefs around learning and childhood. As a Reggio-inspired educator, it has been fascinating to learn about the different ways people construct their image of the child, and how context, culture, and beliefs shape and mold this image.

Inclusion and diversity have been at the heart of many educational conversations recently, particularly in light of the "Black Lives Matter" movement.  This timely and much-needed wave of uncomfortableness has made us all look twice at our own biases and prejudice and wonder if we really are being inclusive and if the curriculum we deliver takes into account power differential and ethnocentrism. During a recent discussion about diversity amongst international educators, it became quite obvious that the curriculum and systems at play in international schools are very western-centric and vehicle beliefs and values about learning that are deemed worthy by rich and developed western nations and not necessarily by those we serve.  We know that western educational systems are currently being scrutinized for their marginalization of certain groups within their own countries, which begs the question: Have international schools found ways to truly include different voices and values within their curriculum and systems?

Being an international educator means that I am constantly needing to attend to the fact that my students come from multiple cultural backgrounds, and that their families may hold a different image of the child and varying opinions about what good education looks like.  While I'm naturally curious about people's perspectives on children and education, it takes quite a bit of time and energy to do the personal work required to become aware of one's own biases and preferred way of thinking.  I'm not convinced that I've always taken the time to truly understand and take into consideration the beliefs and values of the families I serve, nor spend enough time becoming aware of my own perspective. Though I don't feel quite there yet, I am committed to working on becoming aware and making the learning environment I create increasingly inclusive of all the voices and individuals in my care.

The issue of diversity and inclusion at a personal level feels manageable and doable.  I can choose to become more aware and make changes within my learning environment.  At the same time, I work within a system and at times the values and mission of the institution I work for do not match my own.  Recently, a member of the leadership team shared their point of view about inclusion and diversity, and it went something like this: "When families enter international schools, they have to adapt to a multicultural setting and they must understand that they can't do everything the way they would in their own country."  I'm curious how you feel about this statement and if it raises any red flags for you?  For me, I worry that this means... they must adapt to "our way" of doing things, which in other words means they should become more western.  Maybe this statement resonates differently for you.  I hope you will share your thinking around this and any perspectives you feel may be useful to dive deeper into what diversity and inclusion mean in international schools.

Happy wondering!

Anne