How International Schools Have Responded to the Impact of COVID-19

14 years old, Year 10

The British International School of Kuala Lumpur (BSKL)

Describe yourself in three words. Determined, hardworking, thoughtful.

What is your favourite subject and why? My favourite subject at the moment is Business Studies. A few years ago I really enjoyed watching business investment television shows which have helped me gain a deeper understanding of the ways which the business world operates, alongside appreciating the significance in negotiation and management skills. Through this subject, I have been able to further build upon my knowledge in addition to contributing new ideas during class. Furthermore, the major investors in these shows definitely motivate me to do my best in this subject.

What kinds of extracurricular activities do you do and why? One of my extracurricular activities include playing the piano with songs of my preference. During the learning process, it teaches me perseverance and patience – skills which I believe are essential to possess in any workplace. Also, after playing and perfecting the piece which I am playing, a sense of satisfaction comes in hand with the hard work, which is definitely the source of my passion for this instrument.

What opportunities has your school given you that you would not have had otherwise? One of the most valuable opportunities which my school has given me would be to publicly speak in front of my peers through different forms, including discussions in class, presentations and campaigns. Through this, I have gained valuable presentation skills and have come to understand the fundamental aspects involved in engaging an audience while delivering concise information when expressing my ideas.

If you could change one thing about being a student at your school, what would it be? If I could change one thing about being a student at my school, it would be having the opportunity to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities which focus on developing skills and knowledge specific to career paths which students may wish to pursue in the future. I believe this would be highly beneficial in allowing students to determine their vision for the future and assisting Year 9s in selecting their GCSE options.

Tell us about your online learning experience. Did you face any challenges? I did not face many challenges during the online learning experience as expected – I really enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere of my home while learning and got to further develop and focus on my personal hobbies during my free time. Also, I had the opportunity to learn how to manage my time more effectively during the MCO, which is highly helpful given the numerous examinations that I have to prepare for in the few years to come.

What do you hope to do when you finish school? Although I am not certain of the specific path I will take in the future, at this point in time I would like to work in business management after finishing my studies, and hopefully start my own business where I can introduce a new, innovative product which has never been thought of before. Also, as I progress in my career I would like to help others and contribute to society as much as possible through my given profession.

What lessons did you learn in 2020? During isolation at home, the most important lesson I have learnt is to take the time to slow down, find activities which I enjoy and most importantly come to appreciate everything around me. Also, after I started reading the news quite often, I found myself being highly inspired by the stories of people who despite coming from different countries, endured very similar circumstances to mine.

This section provides an overview of how international schools have responded to the impact of COVID-19 and how technology impacts the future of education. Experts also provide some insight into choosing an international school, and what to expect from a boarding school. There are also articles on the benefits of learning a foreign language including Mandarin and how to select the best extracurricular activities for your child.

For many parents, the response by schools to the challenges of COVID-19 is now influencing their education choice. Many international schools have demonstrated a level of agility and provision throughout this very challenging time that has been very reassuring to parents and will influence parental decisions regarding school choice for some time to come. Schools that have not responded sufficiently, may suffer as a result.

Extended campus closures, as a result of COVID-19, have given parents insights into their child’s education like never before. As a result, in addition to their existing educational requirements, international school admissions staff are reporting new factors influencing the school selection decisions of parents. Over recent months, the ISC Research team have gathered extensive feedback from a wide range of international schools about this. Janelle Torres, South East Asia Research Consultant, from ISC Research, provides insights into new factors influencing the school selection decisions of parents. Schools also report that increasing attention is now being paid to wellbeing, health and safety issues and to communication with parents.

The delivery of remote learning was a demand on all schools worldwide as a result of the pandemic and many parents were extensively involved in supporting their children through this experience. With the acknowledgment of likely campus closures or isolation periods into the future, an increasing number of parents are now exploring the preparedness of their child’s school or potential school to deliver this effectively. In a recent survey of international school admissions staff by ISC Research, 84% said their school’s online learning provision is now either important or very important to current and prospective parents.

In the early days of COVID-19 campus closures, the delivery of distance learning was challenging for most schools as a result of the sudden and unexpected shift. Some schools had good online infrastructure already in place and were able to adjust quickly. Others took longer. Many international schools have said their experience of distance learning during COVID-19 has impacted their future plans regarding the use of learning technologies. Most schools now know the resources that have been effective for helping children and young people to engage in and present their learning, and the infrastructure and device improvements they require. Many international schools say they are investing in training to upskill their staff to competently and creatively deliver distance learning.

The extended experience of online learning has resulted in skilled educators seeing the elements of online learning that have had a particularly positive impact on students. As a result of this, some international schools are planning to introduce an ongoing blended learning programme, combining traditional classroom practice with online interaction and engagement.

Well-being provision is increasingly being recognised by many international schools, and it has been particularly important during COVID-19. As a result, the well-being support provided by a school is also now considered a very important factor for many parents. Some schools have been delivering outstanding support. A school in Malaysia developed a virtual newsroom during campus closures for its students and staff. The newsroom shared community-generated content that included positive learning stories, creative performances, imaginative challenges, special virtual and in-person stories from within the school community, and details of the school’s outreach initiatives.

International school admission managers say that health and safety procedures, including sanitisation and social distancing policies, are increasingly being questioned by parents. Admissions staff say this is currently one of the most important factors for parents as campuses are reopened, and is likely to remain of significance for some time to come.

International schools will have protocols in place regarding sanitisation, the use of personal protective equipment, health checks, isolation, transportation of students, etc. and these are accessible to parents who wish to be reassured of the procedures in place.

Parental involvement with their child’s school has been increasingly offered in a variety of ways. Some international schools host classes focusing on a range of skill development for parents from language and maths, to online safety. Many other schools offer more social solutions for parents such as coffee mornings and yoga classes, some of which are currently being delivered online. Schools are also increasingly providing parents with ongoing access to their child’s learning journey and engagement with teachers and leaders via a secure parent portal or app.

Those schools with such provision already established found the experience of supporting parents through COVID-19 more efficient and effective. The volume of communication with parents noticeably increased during this time as more parental participation in learning requirements and wellbeing support was required. As a result, there has also been an effort by some schools to develop more creative forms of communication such as pre-recorded video updates and live parent sessions through video conferencing solutions. Many parents will want this level of communication from their school into the future.

Whilst new school selection factors are emerging as a result of COVID-19, the traditional reasons why many parents choose an international school remain the same. These include the language or languages of learning, the academic outcomes, the supported pathways to global higher education, and the whole-child learning provision incorporating the arts, sports, the environment, the development of creative and independent learning skills, and extracurricular provision. School fees vary, often reflecting the range of education provision.

Notably throughout South East and Eastern Asia is the increasing emergence of bilingual schooling. Some governments now insist on national students being provided with local culture, history, tradition and language provision and this requirement can include international schools. Many international schools independently recognise the value of this. In addition, many parents want their child to value their home language and cultural heritage as well as becoming fluent English speakers. This is driving the growth of bilingual learning in international schools and this now represents one third of the world’s international schools market. This demand trend is another that is expected to grow in forthcoming years.

Janelle Torres is the South East Asia Research Consultant, part of the Field Research Team at ISC Research. Janelle works with international schools throughout the region to gather the crucial intelligence to enable ISC Research to produce an accurate and comprehensive view of the international schools market. ISC Research supports international schools with their positioning, business planning and development strategy. For more information, please visit www.iscresearch.com

Andrew Hamilton Northern Ireland

Matrix International School

Subjects Taught Year 6 IPC

How long have you been teaching? Ten years.

Why did you become a teacher? From a young age, I have always dreamt of being a teacher, so it allowed me to be focused in my own studies of what I needed to achieve. My own educational experience, alongside being involved in youth work, was useful in identifying good practice in learning and teaching to prepare me for the profession. In addition, I was grateful for the people who helped invest in me as a student so I strongly believe it is important to do the same for future generations – they will be our future leaders, medical and educational practitioners and entrepreneurs.

Tell us about your own education journey. I studied at a teacher training college in Northern Ireland for four years.

What is the most memorable moment in your teaching career so far? My most memorable moments in teaching are the interactions with the students: the times when they have that ‘Eureka!’ moment, or when you support them in overcoming their own challenges, or the times they make you smile by their words or actions.

What do you like most about teaching? My favourite part of teaching is assisting in the progression that students make over an academic year. Every child has potential, sometimes they just need guidance on how to unlock it. What is the best thing about teaching at your school? The best thing about teaching in Matrix International School is the students. Their positive attitude to learning, eagerness to develop and desire to achieve their dreams make me look forward to going to work each day.

Who or what inspires you? Some of my former school teachers are my inspirations. They saw the potential in me from a young age and helped me to achieve my dream job. I still keep in contact with them and greatly appreciate the advice and support they continue to provide.

Tell us about your online teaching experience. Did you face any challenges? The positives of online learning are engaging ways to cover lesson content, students can learn and progress at their own pace and it reinforces important life skills (e.g. time management, being disciplined, critical thinking). Some challenges I faced were overcoming internet connection issues for my class, having to take more time to help support students than being in the classroom and supporting students and staff in using online software.

While I will implement the valuable parts of online learning into day-to-day teaching, I still prefer being in the classroom with my learners.

What lessons did you learn in 2020? Value the little things. We can often take for granted the small things in our life – teaching in a classroom, meeting with family and friends, going to buy food or eating at a restaurant. It has reminded me to appreciate them more.