Farewell, but not goodbye

Farewell, but not goodbye to a respected leader and FOBISIA champion : Margaret Rafee - Sri KDU International School

Where and how did your teaching journey begin, what brought you to Asia, and how do you feel about the end of the journey?

My teaching career began in Luton, U.K. in 1979 when I was appointed as a French teacher, in a catholic secondary school, immediately after graduating from St. Mary’s, Strawberry Hill, with a B.Ed in French and English Literature. I arrived in Malaysia in 2013, after a long and successful career in the U.K., culminating in 10 years of headship at Alperton Community School, in the London Borough of Brent. After ten years leading this school, I felt I had done everything I could, bringing it to Ofsted outstanding and securing the funds for a new school building. I decided to leave it to someone else to move the school forward.

Although I took early retirement, I was not ready to “hang up my boots” and I decided to try something completely different. By then, my children were independent adults, so I decided to fly the nest with my husband and go international. We had always had a fascination with Malaysia, as my husband was born in Sri Lanka, in a Malay family. When I saw the job advertised at Sri KDU International School, I thought it would be a great opportunity to spend a couple of years getting to know Malaysia. However, my passionate commitment to any school I join and my wish to make it the best that it can be, has led me to spend eight wonderful years here. I would have liked to spend ten years leading the school, as I did at Alperton, but the global pandemic has put a stop to that. I have accomplished a great deal in a setting I didn’t expect to experience, so despite the pandemic cutting it short, I still feel fulfilled at the end of my journey. I have had the opportunity to meet amazing students, excellent staff, supportive parents and developed a deep love for Malaysia. I have many happy memories from my 43 years in education and those gained in Malaysia will be some of the best and most long-lasting.

How long have you been involved with FOBISIA and how did you become involved with the FOBISIA Board?

I spent three years building up Sri KDU International school to a British standard which I thought worthy of being a member of FOBISIA, thus in 2016 we successfully applied for membership. I proudly presented the school at the March 2017 Heads Business Meeting in Beijing. Although I was a very experienced school leader, I still felt like a “newbie” in FOBISIA, I therefore decided to gain as much as possible experience for the school in our first and second academic year with FOBISIA. I believe strongly in giving back to any organisation I am benefiting from, so in November 2018 volunteered myself for the board and was delighted to be elected by colleague heads. I took up the Communications portfolio as this is one of my areas of interest and expertise. Not only have I had the privilege of working with outstanding school leaders who are Board members, I have been supported by amazing colleagues at HQ in Tania Donoghue, Siobhan Bland and most recently Li-May. I have also relished working with John Gwyn Jones since he became CEO of FOBISIA, especially on the numerous pre-membership visits we have done together. I will really miss being part of the Board but I hope to continue to give back to FOBISIA as a lifetime Associate Member.

What role did FOBISIA play in supporting your leadership at Sri KDU International School Malaysia?

School leadership can be very tough and lonely unless you have a great support network. From the moment the school joined FOBISIA, I have felt supported by a professional family. Having so many seasoned international Principals to turn to for advice or just to provide a listening ear is what sustains one as a school leader. I also became closer to the other Principals/Heads of School in Malaysia who are FOBISIA members. The formal training I have been able to get through FOBISIA, especially at the annual leadership conference has also been invaluable. I have been able to hear keynote addresses and join workshops with top educationalists in a way which would not have been possible without FOBISIA membership. I have also been able to visit other FOBISIA schools in other parts of Asia to learn how other school are led by great role models.

Ms. Rafee dressed as The Queen of Hearts for World Book Day, April 2018

How has Sri KDU benefited from its FOBISIA membership?

Most importantly our students have benefited from being part of a wider British schools’ community. They have had the opportunity to meet, compete with and become friends with students from throughout Asia. They have had amazing experiences at the FOBISIA Games and in other collaborations in Music, Drama and other academic domains. It has been especially important to keep them connected throughout the pandemic and the way that FOBISIA kept these opportunities alive in the online environment has been a lifeline for many young people. The FOBISIA Voices project was the pinnacle of this collaboration and the feeling of being a part of a bigger community in these challenging times has been invaluable to the school community.

What are your most memorable FOBISIA moments?

I have so many great memories but there are two that stood out: 1. Being able to visit the Great Wall of China when my first Heads’ Business Meeting was in Beijing 2. The whole trip to the English School of Mongolia in Ulaanbatur for a March Heads’ Business meeting but especially staying in the national park, enjoying to the Mongolian throat singers at the lavish banquet organised in our honour, visiting Dinah Hawtree’s yurt and seeing the whole group, including my husband but not me, horse-riding. Of course, also meeting and listening to the inspiring Graham Hill , the headmaster of the school.

What do you cherish most about FOBISIA?

The camaraderie and the feeling of being a part of the FOBISIA family.

What will retirement look like for you - have you any new hobbies or projects that you hope to pursue?

Actually retirement is a very scary prospect for me as I cannot imagine not working in a school. I will spend more time with my grandson which is the whole reason for leaving earlier than I planned but I do intend to continue doing some consultancy or volunteer work in schools. I hope to be doing more work with the DfE on their iQTS qualification as well as supporting expatriates returning to the U.K. to teach; I aim to become an Assigned Consultant for ISQM with EDT, so that I can keep on visiting international schools and sharing my experience. Many underestimate the significance of cultural differences as well as parental aspirations in this part of the world.

I may return to some of my advisory work for Oftsed which I had done before and may become a school governor. Then in my spare time I plan write my memoirs or a book on school leadership, focussing on the differences of leading a school in the U.K. and internationally.

Personally, I hope to do lots of walking on the beautiful Welsh coast as I intend to settle in Cardiff or its whereabouts. I hope through being a lifelong individual member of FOBISIA, I will be able to continue to give back as a new head mentor or even perhaps by doing pre-membership visits if they remain virtual!

Mandarin Assembly 2019

Pertiwi Soup Kitchen, Nov 2018

Visit from French Lycée Andre Maurois, Oct 2019