I decided to write a book about international education as soon as I realised international schools work in a vastly different way to the state academy I left behind in the UK.
Indeed, research in 2019 showed that the average board size of our international schools varies in size from 1 to 60. The “one” in most cases being the school’s owner.
Many incoming internationals school leaders are unaware of a number of pitfalls that await the newly appointed international school principal. They include:
- A lack of lead-up time and preparation before taking up the role (often referred to as professional socialisation)
- Differing agendas of school owners and school leaders
- Inadequate HR practices that lead to serious misgivings during the employee lifecycle.
To start with the first pitfall, when a principal is hired, the transition time, quality and depth of training and support they receive can vary significantly. However, an emerging trend I began to spot was that international school principals, as busy as they were in their current contexts, were unable to commit to the necessary time when taking on a new role.
“Human resource management, in many developing countries, is just that…developing.”
In a startup school this was usually compensated for, but switching between international schools left little time for the principal to become accustomed to the vision, leadership and management of the new school.
The second pitfall is when your agenda differs from that of the school owner. A recent research study published in The Financial Times by education consultancy Cairneagle suggested that “half of companies operating British schools worldwide were originally property developers, some of whom were incorporating campuses into wider projects”. I suggest in my book that you should not be too surprised if (as principal) your school owner starts managing and directing your staff above your head.
It may come as a surprise to some, but in the three international schools I’ve worked in, none offered me the chance to reflect on my views in an exit interview. As much as I wanted to share my experiences (both good and bad) and genuinely help the schools move forward, leaving amounted to returning a laptop on the last day and signing a few documents.
“In the three international schools I’ve worked in, none offered me the chance to reflect on my views in an exit interview.”
It is little wonder therefore that there has been a staggering rise in sites such as International Schools Review (ISR) where many a teacher vents their frustrations in public. The third pitfall, human resource management, in many developing countries is just that…developing. Principals make the mistake of assuming that policies and their processes will be followed, just as they would back home or in previous international schools. It is usually with that underlying assumption that things begin to go wrong. Human resources needs a seat at the table of leadership. It is not just about hiring staff and tying up loose ends when they leave.
My advice to any international school principals taking up their role:
- Spend as much time as you can getting to know your cultural context – get important documentation translated into English.
- Build the professional network of people you are going to need to support you,
- Never lead in isolation. Listen to your people, before you expect them to listen to you. As Kai Vacher, principal at British International School Muscat reminded me: “Set out exactly what you will be accountable for, to whom and by when”. Failure to do so can lead to rather awkward conversations with your school owners further down the line.
To learn more about André’s new book Leading Your International School, click here.