International schools are broadening their appeal and helping to break down barriers between nations. At one time, international schools were largely the preserve of globetrotting expatriates, who wanted continuity of education for their children as their work took them overseas. But a growing number of local parents are choosing international schools for their children, looking for an education that is both high quality and will help their children cross national boundaries more easily.International high school

An international education not only smooths the path to entry to universities around the world, it also helps children form the sort of connections that will stand them in good stead in an increasingly globalized economy. International schools have enjoyed phenomenal growth in recent years, with no sign that trend is likely to slow. The last five years have seen the number of students enrolled in English-medium international schools grow by almost 7% a year, with such schools now accounting for 5.1 million children across the world. bAnd this growth is forecast to continue, with almost 7 million children expected to be attending international schools in 2023. The international education market is valued at $46.7 billion, rising to $66.6 billion in four years’ time.

But rather than the expatriate-dominated schools of the past, four in five of those students are the children from local families, according to international schools data experts ISC Research. And in some countries the rise in local enrollments has been particularly marked. In Indonesia, the proportion of students enrolled in premium international schools who were local doubled in just three years, from 25% in 2015 to 51% last year. In Vietnam over the same period local enrollments rose from 46% of the international school population to 72%. Even in Asia’s biggest economies, international schools are thriving. In China, 57% of students at international schools are Chinese, while in India 67% are Indian. At least 104 new international schools are opening this academic year, according to ISC Research.
Asia has the biggest demand for international schools. In the United Arab Emirates, 643,000 children attend international schools, in China the figure is 348,000, while in Malaysia 97,000 children are enrolled. Dubai alone boasts 306 international schools, while there are 169 in Shanghai and 142 in Beijing.

Of course, in most countries these figures represent only a fraction of the total number of students. The vast majority of children go to local schools and this is unlikely to change in the near future, not least because an international education is expensive. Average annual tuition fees are $18,000 in Eastern Asia, just under $11,000 in South-East Asia and $7,000 in Western Asia, beyond the reach of most families. But the growth in local demand for international schools is significant because of what it tells us about aspirations, even if it is only among the most affluent members of society.
Firstly, it is that an English-medium education is seen as opening doors, both in higher education and for future careers. A 2015 report from the British Council identified a shift towards using English not just as a foreign language but as a medium of instruction in subjects including science, math and geography. English is increasingly seen as a passport to a global world, and a way to access modernity and prosperity, the report said. The second driver of local demand for international schools is the increasing desirability of access to higher education. Entry to the world’s best universities is seen as demanding not just fluency in English, but also qualifications that are recognized around the world. The result of this is the creation of an internationally mobile student population, that will in turn transition into an internationally mobile workforce, studying and working across borders and helping to create a more globalized world.

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