A recent conference organised by The Association of International Schools of India (Taisi) had everyone bewildered.  This was because there was no clear-cut definition of which school can really call itself “international”.

According to the Wikipedia, international schools are private schools that cater mainly to children who are not nationals of the host country and typically use curricula based on those of countries like the United Kingdom or the United States or an international curriculum such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme.

Apparently, there are 19 schools in India that offer the IB Diploma programme (for class 11 and 12) and about 500 others which offer the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (for class 9 and 10) conducted by the University of Cambridge International Examinations. However, a person need not be discerning to know that the number of schools which call themselves “international” in India are much more than that.

In fact, I have been told that in Bangalore itself there are about 67 schools which use the title of “international”. However, in reality, there are just about six which offer international curriculum.

What really caught everyone by surprise though, was that Taisi, which as the name suggests is an association of international schools, was fine with the idea that innumerable schools called themselves international. “The word international is not a trademark,” they said. In fact, they were even willing to include schools, that do not offer international curricula, as members of Taisi, as they believe that a school is international not by mere accreditation but by its outlook and practice. This meant, journos gossipped, that any school which makes a payment of Rs 25,000 annually (membership fees for Taisi) could become “international”.

To be fair to Taisi, it has been formed with a vision of promoting the culture of sharing and learning among the international schools and thereby enhance the learning experience of students. The activities that it will be undertaking will range from organising workshops for faculty development to sharing educational material among members and developing linkages with global schools and colleges. But wouldn’t it be better if it restricted its membership to the schools that follow an international programme of study or just stop calling itself an association of international schools so that it could involve others as well? 

What’s in a name, one may say. But the point is, a clear-cut definition of an international school is essential to ensure that parents do not get duped by any educational institution that calls itself international. This is because parents do not mind emptying their pockets for their children’s education; and in some instances it is just the name that they go by.