If you had a granular view of the international schools market, how could it support you with your international school growth strategy, development planning, or admissions? Our most recent white paper highlights key factors and trends to be aware of.
As of July 2022, there are now over 13,000 English-medium international schools around the world. Demand is continuing to climb for schools offering an international curriculum and learning ethos, creating new opportunities for further expansion of the market. Our latest white paper explores the factors that differentiate international schools from other K-12 educational offerings and discusses how and why international schools are valued by parents.
How international schools differ in various regions
Our report explores regional trends within the international schools market and shares advice to education suppliers and consultants who may be seeking to build an international presence within a particular region.
To understand how the international schools market is viewed through different lenses, ISC Research spoke to a range of regional experts.
“International schools in Africa are hubs of innovation”, Dr Graham Carlini Watts, an international education consultant and Director of Professional Learning at the Association of International Schools in Africa told us for the white paper. With the effective use of technology going forward, Graham believes that the nature of international schooling in Africa will change to enrich teaching and learning within the African context. “International schools in Africa are not looking to be a replica of a school elsewhere, they’re looking to be innovative and to develop a creative state of mind in students,” he said.
Aditya Gupta, CEO of India Didactics Association, outlined how international curricula have started to gain momentum and their popularity is growing within India. He explained the reason for this increase in demand. “In general, international schools have better infrastructure capability, access to devices, focus on teacher training, and the capacity to implement solutions compared to Indian curriculum schools,” Aditya said.
President of International School Services (ISS), Liz Duffy, explained how “the US has an extremely holistic pathway to higher education and in general, the US is not a very test-centred place”. As a result, US-oriented international schools are generally more mindful to “prepare students for different application systems which vary significantly, from the holistic US approach to the test-focused UK requirements”, said Liz.
Regional contexts provide development opportunities
Wellbeing has become a key talking point worldwide, inspiring breakthroughs within the education sector. Jonathan Viner, Founder of 10Digits, outlined how “wellbeing is a key part of Nordic edtech because student-centred learning and student equality is integral to the curriculum, and a fundamental part of education in the Nordic region.” He explained how wellbeing has, therefore, become an area of education where Nordic brands are building a reputation, as more companies are providing schools with the capability to measure wellbeing through edtech.
Julia Garvey, Deputy Director General at British Education Suppliers Association, shared how she now sees “more that unites than divides international schools and the domestic market” as a result of the pandemic. However, despite the similarities, Julia shared her advice for British suppliers looking to international schools for business potential. “The buying model across the global international schools market is very different to the British state and independent sectors. It is increasingly dominated by large school groups, or UK brands which have opened schools overseas,” she said.
What do these regional differences mean for those wishing to better understand the market? Download a free copy of the white paper to find out more.
