The Changing Landscape of International Schooling

Book excerpt: The number of English-medium international schools that deliver their curriculum wholly or partly in the English language reportedly reached 6,000 in January 2012. It is anticipated this number will rise to over 11,000 schools by 2022, employing over 500,000 English-speaking teachers. The number of children being taught in these schools reportedly reached 3 million in March 2012. Alongside this phenomenal growth the landscape of international schooling has changed fundamentally, moving away from largely serving the children of the expat and globally mobile business community and Embassies, towards serving the ‘local’ children of the wealthy and emerging middle-class. This has been reflected in the shift away from non-profit ownership by the school community towards ownership by for-profit companies and proprietors. In this book, Tristan Bunnell explores the changing landscape of international schooling and discusses the implications of these changes, both in terms of theoretically conceptualizing the scale, nature and purpose of the field, and in terms of practically serving and administering the growing industry that international education is becoming. The Changing Landscape of International Schooling will be worthwhile reading for researchers, academics and students of international schooling, leaders and teachers in international schools, and those interested in the broader development of international education.