This opinion piece is written in response to the viewpoint invitation of Greg Parry on his opinion piece titled https://www.gsineducation.com/blog/smoke-and-mirrors-at-private-international-school-opinion
Note: The points expressed below are without prejudice and is purely the writer’s personal opinion. It is in no way related to any particular school.
These are certainly some of the many challenges faced by international schools and parents and as a marketer in the private education space, I have always found that understanding the key facets below plays a very important role in the building, development and evaluation of an international school:
Famous foreign school brands are always good for ‘top of mind recall’ when it comes to branding and marketing a school. They give you a good ‘foot in the door’ but a strong team is what that will ultimately ensure the sustainable success of the school. One man/woman might not make a school but a weak team can certainly bring down one.
Good and consistent academic results certainly show the quality output of a school but as you rightly said, it should not be the only benchmark to look out for. Good schools can often produce the best results from top students. Great schools however bring all students to achieve their fullest potential and help mould them to become a better version of themselves.
Having teachers who have the right DNA for the school’s ethos and mission is equally as important as having experienced teachers. Sometimes it is not about how many years of experience one has but more of the right kind of experience and attitude that is required for the school’s strategic goals, its needs at that particular period and the community it serves.
There are indeed way too many education directories on the web nowadays and the word ‘Best and Top’ is frequently used to describe a school as that is how consumer behaviour works and the way optics are managed in brand positioning. In truth, deciding on a school is not that much different from any other product. There is no better way to do it than to visit a school and experience the environment for yourself. If it ‘feels’ right then chances are it is the school that best suits the child’s needs.
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