Globalisation in education

September 13, 2017

• Topical

Globalisation is a much debated topic, as it affects nearly every aspect of our lives. For the past 50 years, it has been increasingly changing the way in which education is understood around the world, as international mobility and the number of expats worldwide have been on the rise. Ever more institutions and schooling systems are modifying their curricula in order to be creating global citizens. In times when many feel like globalisation has grown over our heads, education proves that there is both a need and a fancy of globalisation.  

It’s hard to assess how global education has become – from foreign language instruction to international schools, there are many stages of “globalness”. In addition to foreign tongues, our schools teach children about foreign cultures, histories, and geographies. Prestigious universities traditionally receive applications from candidates with different passports and the more competitive ones actively encourage foreigners to apply and even promote diversity by offering bursaries and scholarships to international students. Schooling institutions on all levels organise trips abroad and foreign exchanges, as well as study abroad stays.

Meanwhile, in the core of the education business, globalisation has led to standardisation. Standardisation of curricula means that different schools teach the same things and assess students in the same manner. Standardisation enables mobility – if universities and potential employers can easily understand their applicants’ results and be confident that they are indeed as good as their grades suggest, it is much easier for these candidates to seize opportunities.

The International Baccalaureate (IB), is a case in point. Founded in 1968, IB is a non-profit educational foundation offering globally recognised programmes of international education. More than 4000 IB institutions can be found all around the world and ever more students choose them because holding an IB diploma can open many doors for them. Instruction at these international schools takes place in English, French or Spanish and they promote global citizenship. The foundation prides itself in educating students who will “be able to engage with people in an increasingly globalized, rapidly changing world” and “become more culturally aware, through the development of a second language”. The programme requires students to think independently and be curious about the surrounding world: for example, prior to getting their diploma, every student must have a volunteering experience.

The reasons for students to choose IB schools can be numerous – be it for the quality assurance that the standardisation provides, the approach to teaching and learning, the global aspect, job prospects or simply because the student is an expat and does not speak the local language. However, data shows that IB alumni are successful applicants of the highest ranking universities around the world and are likely to secure competitive jobs.

International schools following the IB are incredibly attractive in places like Singapore, Hong Kong or Malaysia. Australian schools, modelled after the UK system are also attracting many Asian families. Dubai and Qatar are increasingly building international schools modelled after the UK curriculum. In Europe, international schools resembling the British or the American system are ever more popular in affluent cities Paris, Geneva or Florence.

The International Baccalaureate, a system not dissimilar from the British and the American schooling systems, is also becoming more popular in the UK. Ever more UK students choose IB instead of A-levels, as it is increasingly seen as a good preparation for higher education, because of the skills that it teaches. In a survey, 18% of admissions officers said the IB prepared students better for further education, 51% rated them equally, and only 8% thought A-levels were a better preparation for university than IB.

There is clearly a rising preference for “global education”. Although its globalism is not the reason which makes parents and students opt for IB, but rather the evident overall success of its methodology, the trend does show that in many regions of the world, education tends towards one system. It could mean that in the future, ever more schools in the UK and around the world will convert to IB and more international schools will be built.

Among employers and consequently among ambitious families, there is a high demand for international education, standardised diplomas, language competences, and a global overview. There is also a rising number of university courses which enable students to study in different countries and obtain dual degrees. The prestigious French university Sciences Po Paris offers dual degrees with universities on four continents. ESCP Europe, a business school, has campuses in six European countries and its students can spend each of their 4 semesters in a different country. Its Master in Management program ranks 1st in the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Poland, 3rd in France and 4th worldwide.

The idea behind these programmes is not luring millennials to pay their fees by enabling them to fulfil their traveling dreams while working on their degree – these universities have understood that competitive jobs not only require applicants to be open to relocate, but also demand culture-specific and language knowledge.

In conclusion, education is becoming increasingly globalised in order to respond to the modern job market. Among the most popular employers of our times, many are committed to promoting diversity and seek candidates with international experience. As a result, there is an emerging trend in education to meet the need. Though in addition to responding to the job market, education will hopefully also increasingly promote global citizenship.

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