Overcoming the Difficulties of a Clash of Cultures in Education

I recently came across a difficulty with the board of a client school who were concerned that their liberal values would not fit in a market where a strong opportunity to open a branch campus exists. Understandably, the board had concerns about the acceptability of the opportunity to stakeholders back in the UK. It is not the first time that an enthusiastic global development director, consultant, or head teacher will have brought an opportunity to a board, only to have been met with a squirming trustee or two concerned about reputational risk.

If a branch abroad is carrying the name of a British or American brand, it should be a part of the school’s family, shouldn’t it? It shouldn’t be some sort of illegitimate sprog which is an embarrassment to the parent. So, there’s a natural concern that the values of the parent institution should be translated easily to the overseas offspring.

However, life is not so straightforward, and most schools which found branch campuses are finding that their own stated beliefs and values are not necessarily chiming with those which prevail in the communities which offer great opportunities for educational expansion.

It’s a tough one – and some UK brands have come in for some criticism in the British press, accused of selling out their principles for financial gain, (principles, not Principals, I hasten to add).

And that begs the question, “Why are we setting up these overseas schools?” Most boards are candid – it is great to have educational variety and to build opportunities for our students and staff, but in the end, we need the financial returns. Times are hard!

Schools should not be criticised for seeking to be paid for their brand and know how. But if you are going to put your name over the door – even though that foreign campus is not owned by you, but by some local partner – then it strikes me you carry a responsibility not only to your stakeholders at home, but also to your stakeholders abroad. Where does your priority lie? And should you prioritise one school above another? To do so surely points to the fact that you ARE in it just for the money. And that smacks of an extractive, and dare I say it quasi colonial, imperialist attitude. An unfair criticism? Well, let’s examine this…

Education is all about purpose, and young people are at the centre of that purpose. So what do young people need from their schools?

First, a clearly-articulated moral compass.

Second, opportunities to grow and develop as discerning adults.

Third, an ability to comprehend and find common ground with those of a different culture, belief system, or set of values. (We don’t want our students to live in a bubble, do we?).

Beliefs and values are not the same thing. Beliefs are what you think you know, and can be challenged, altered and moulded. This process comes through experience and exposure to a range of different beliefs, while being taught the strategies of discernment. You may end up with absolute beliefs. That’s going to be difficult if you want to operate in an international context.

Values are different. These can be more commonly held, I contend, than beliefs. They can cross borders more easily. They should stand up to challenges. Beliefs are what you think, but values are who you are.

There are those who regard Education’s purpose to develop young adults of character, with strong values. Others regard it as a process – a step towards the adult world of family, work, success. International fee-paying schools in particular tend to attract families keen on gaining a significant advantage for their children: good grades; English acquisition; university entrance; networking opportunities; or the opportunity to excel in fields they may not be able to access elsewhere such as music, sport and the performing arts. These international schools have a responsibility to prepare their students for a complex, interconnected world in which various beliefs prevail from one community to another. How can a school from one culture operate successfully in a very different one? How can a UK school which celebrates a Pride Week and embraces their gay students operate in a country in which homosexuals may by law be imprisoned or stoned to death? How does a liberal, secular school from the USA operate in a strongly religious country in West Africa or the Middle East? How can an Australian school which instructs its students about democratic values and freedom open a school in a communist state, or in an absolute monarchy?

At the heart of this is a prevailing, and problematic, belief among the schools seeking to set up abroad – a belief that we are right and other countries’ belief systems are wrong, or archaic, or even dangerous. The IPSEF conference in June will take place at Friends’ House in London, the headquarters of the Quaker community. Quakers have a guidebook, Advice and Queries. As a former head of a Quaker school, despite not being a Quaker myself, I would often refer to Advice and Queries. As the name suggested, it was not a rule book, but a list of thoughtful life prompts to encourage a mindful approach to life. My favourite advice was number 17:

“Do you respect that of God in everyone though it may be expressed in unfamiliar ways or be difficult to discern?… When words are strange or disturbing to you, try to sense where they come from and what has nourished the lives of others. Listen patiently and seek the truth which other people’s opinions may contain for you…. Do not allow the strength of your convictions to betray you into making statements or allegations that are unfair or untrue. Think it possible that you may be mistaken”.

It’s the last sentence in particular which I think is relevant when considering an overseas adventure, working with partners of a different culture and belief system, and within a society which may frame these beliefs in problematic laws. We should not make assumptions about how potential partners may believe. Their values may well match ours. And we can learn an enormous amount from them. Apply your values to your potential operating partners. If they align with yours there is the prospect of a successful project, and a happy marriage between your school and theirs, which will bear your name. Individuals do not all represent the prevailing view in their country. They may be crying out for a different approach, and that may be why they have chosen your school to work with.

International education is producing internationally minded young people who have opportunities to learn from their own culture, but also be exposed to opportunities within an international curriculum, and to fly off to experience higher education abroad before working in global companies. These young people are entering a corporate world which is changing dramatically, and in which the concept of Responsible Business is beginning to prevail. Investors and shareholders want to know how companies are acting responsibly, with regard to their employees, their customers, the environment, minorities, and their supply chains. Our students are entering this world, and our schools need to prepare them for this. But unless our schools demonstrate and model Responsible Business practices themselves, from governance and leadership through to teaching and non-teaching staff, and indeed in the curriculum we are teaching within those schools, we will not be doing our best job. Our beliefs may cause us not to engage, rather than experience a clash, but our values may be shared, and provide a vehicle to produce schools which promote global awareness, global responsibility, and a shared humanity.

Failure to engage with certain countries stunts growth. It perpetuates a lack of cultural understanding. It means that your British or North American students will be cut off from the global opportunities to which children in international schools are gratefully and enthusiastically exposed. I encourage boards to embrace the opportunities available in societies which, after all, want that special something which they value about our education systems and schools. Seek areas of commonality. Mixed marriages – all marriages – face challenges. But an approach focused on shared values, putting the needs of students first, valuing them all equally as part of your school’s family will stand a far better chance of building a strong group of schools, and a profitable, sustainable, responsible Education business.

Source

Alex McGrath, CEO, Castlegate Education Limited

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