A ROAD LESS BUMPY Garry Russell Vice Principal, The British School of Guangzhou
D espite the significant impacts of the pandemic,
the international education sector appears to have adapted incredibly quickly and, in many ways, successfully navigated the operational and strategic challenges. This may be a
consequence of the complex and dynamic environments that international schools have always operated in. Environments where the requirements of owners, investors and local authorities all need to be met, not to mention those of students, teachers and parents. Such experiences require
international school leaders to develop a sophisticated toolkit of skills that, when faced by a crisis, enables them to provide uninterrupted learning experience. One of the most demanding factors for an international school leader is that they are not just employers but are also directly responsible for the pastoral care of their staff and their families, many of which are thousands of miles from home. The school is not just where people work, it is also where they live. In large schools, this will be a weekly challenge, whether dealing with personal issues, managing culture shock or supporting those that have fallen foul of local laws. School leaders cannot simply switch off from duties once school
closes; everyone has their mobile number and they are often first port of call should something go wrong. The school is an extended family and senior leaders develop highly-tuned levels of compassion, resilience and diplomacy – all useful skills in a crisis. Of course, much of this is true is for the students too. In countries where there is often little or no Local Authority support, the school often acts as the welfare centre for the community. Dealing with safeguarding, mental-health or attendance issues is always tough but even more so when there is literally no one outside of the school gate who can advise or support. With an often wide-range of parent expectations, sometimes directly opposing, it is all too easy for small issues to quickly develop into major incidents. Fortunately, international 18
