|
Whether you are a teacher or a headteacher, there are plenty of opportunities to experience the global dimension first-hand, thanks to international programmes like International Placements for Headteachers (IPH) and Teachers’ International Professional Development (TIPD). Each of these gives teaching professionals in England the chance to travel to schools across the world to learn and to share their expertise.
The IPH programme has been established to allow headteachers to see first-hand the school environments of their international counterparts, and to use this experience to reflect upon their own practices. In 2005, Majestic Mount Kinabalu lies some 140km from Kota Kinabalu Malaysia was included in the IPH programme for the first time, and 10 headteachers from Hampshire were placed in 10 local schools in the Malaysian city of Kota Kinabalu.
Tony Markham, headteacher, took part in the trip ‘Spending time with Jehan Abdullah, the headteacher at SK Mutiara School in Kota Kinabalu, provided a fantastic opportunity to talk about a range of issues. We discussed how we set about narrowing the achievement gap, the best ways to recruit and retain staff, and how we look after the children at our schools, including issues of pupil motivation and care. It was also very interesting to get a real feel for the diversity of schools in this region of Malaysia – it ranged from SK Mutiara, an award-winning school with its own high-tech wireless connection, to a school less than 10 kilometres away that had no running water or electricity!
‘It was interesting to see that we have much more independence in running our schools compared with the Malaysian education system. The fact that we can recruit and, to a degree, exercise local management of schools means that we have a greater emphasis on strategic planning, and more training is provided for staff. ‘At SK Mutiara, a heavy focus on pupil achievement has led to a system of ‘adopting’ underachieving pupils (with every teacher having at least one child). This is something I would like to try and bring in, to see if we can help some of our students with low self-esteem feel more valued and raise their capacity to achieve.
The process of explaining my school and its workings to colleagues from a different culture has also helped me to clear the trees to see the forest for myself in my own school (so to speak!). I feel this visit has enhanced my understanding of where I am intending to lead my own school.’ As a result of Tony Markham’s 2005 IPH visit, Malaysia has developed its own ‘Malaysian Indonesian Placement of Headteachers’ programme for visiting schools in Indonesia. This year, their activities will focus on the Kalimantan region.
If an international programme sounds interesting but you’re not a headteacher, why not consider the TIPD scheme? Established in 2000, the project provides opportunities for teachers in England to learn from visits to schools in countries across the world. Last July, Julia Bowen, Deputy Head of South Gloucestershire Music Service, co-ordinated a trip to Colombia. She and her colleagues spent 10 days observing the ‘Amadeus Project’ in an impoverished part of the country, seeing for themselves the beneficial effect music can have on local communities: ‘The “Amadeus Project” was set up seven years ago in the poorest areas of Medellin, Colombia, to give youngsters an alternative to the culture of drugs and violence. Today there are 26 Amadeus music schools in the city, with 4,000 members from nursery to senior level.
‘Funding is a major issue – often there are not enough musical instruments to go around. Still, it is not unusual for children to walk up to an hour to get there, as for many of them, the school has become their social life, and a sanctuary. The school is free, but many of the students do struggle to dress appropriately. Despite the lack of resources, the senior orchestra and choir is acquiring a worldwide reputation. It won a UNESCO award last year and travelled to Spain.
‘Each child is made to feel that joining the music school is something special and requires a special commitment. The level of attainment is therefore high and rehearsals are hard work. Teachers are ruthless in their attention to posture and technique, so the overall quality of tone production and technical ability exceeded our expectations. We also really felt the community spirit in the schools. Older musicians help the beginners and there’s a greater group commitment, and feeling of love and support, than we experience in the UK.
‘All of my expectations have been met. My overwhelming impression of the Amadeus Project is of love, respect and dedication from teachers and pupils, who have grasped the opportunity to make music into a regenerative experience. We’ve so many things to discuss and introduce into our teaching, like Latin American rhythms and music choreography – a different world to bring back to South Gloucestershire!’
is an initiative developed by the British Council and the National College for School Leadership, and reflects the British Council’s commitment to developing world-class leadership and global citizenship in schools. For more information, visit www.britishcouncil.org/iph (England only)
is funded by the DfES to enhance teachers’ professional development and help raise school standards. The two-way learning process results in a teachers’ network that shares practice and learning partnerships globally. See www.teachernet.gov.uk/professionaldevelopment/tipd (England only)
| 
