Summary: Choosing the right school for your child, on top of everything else, is one of the most important decisions you will make as parents. But what should you look for in a school?

The business of international education

The origin of international education was largely pragmatic. With the post-war growth of an expatriate workforce, the need arose for English-medium schools in cities around the world.

Today, the business of international education is booming. With increasing numbers of globally mobile families, there are currently over 1000 international schools worldwide, with numbers continuing to rise by about 6 percent a year. Make no mistake, international education is a growth industry with a global annual revenue of over 4 billion US dollars.

Balancing idealism and pragmatism

Business is booming, and that means international schools increasingly have to be business-like. That is to say, whilst the majority of international schools are non-profit organizations, governed by volunteer Boards, they still have to balance their books. Costs are often high and schools rely on tuition fees, rarely receiving subsidies from host country governments.

Increasing numbers of schools in many cities also means greater competition for students. Marketing plans and sales forecasts are therefore as commonplace in schools as in any other company. There is also competition to recruit top quality staff, from an increasingly savvy "pool" of teachers, used to shopping around for the most attractive locations and/or compensation and benefits packages.

At the same time, however, the business of international education is not centrally about making the books balance. International schools have, from the outset, been dedicated to the challenge of developing educated, ethical, empathetic individuals, capable of "making a difference" in future society.

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About the Author Kevin Bartlett is currently Director at the International School of Brussels and Board Chair of the Council of International School. Established in 1951, The International School of Brussels (ISB) is the oldest and largest international school in Belgium. Today, with 1500 students aged 2 to 19 from 70 nationalities, it offers a challenging, inclusive international education designed to give every student opportunities for success within and beyond our school.

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