The student body is diverse in terms of nationalities and it is also diverse in terms of welcoming students who have learning difficulties or physical disabilities. Diversity is not only crucial within students at an international school; it is also important to have diversity within faculty to make sure all types of groups and people are represented in the ISB community.
As the graph above shows, ISB has a highly diverse faculty because of “Thailand’s reputation for being open and inclusive and ISB’s popularity.” Many teachers at ISB who are from Asia, Europe, and Africa are Native Language teachers, and these teachers allow students to “see themselves represented within their teachers.”
Ted Barnwell, a World Studies teacher at ISB, states “It is important to have teachers that reflect different regions of the world because it really brings a whole new approach to teaching.” He also comments, “I notice a lot of the teachers I was hired with are a lot more diverse than other schools I taught at before.”
Students also agree that international schools have more diverse faculty than other regional schools in Thailand. Gavin Viseskosin, a 12th grader at ISB, states “I previously went to a public school, I guess… that school also did not have as many facilities as they do here. So when you compare diversity, there is so much more diversity here.” Similarly, Jendayi Collins, a 10th grader at ISB comments “I have moved around a lot, I have never seen a school so diverse, even compared to all the other international schools I have been to. It helps me feel more comfortable.” She is originally from the US but has been to international schools around the world. “I don’t think diversity is only important for the students, I think it can help teachers feel more comfortable arriving at a new school like this when they have people that are similar to them,” she says.
However, there seems to be a trend among the faculty demographic in international schools around the world: 75% of all heads are males, and 69% of teachers are from western countries. Currently, at ISB, 66% of the heads of school are Caucasian. This shows that schools can put more priority on getting more faculty of different ethnicities not only for ISB but also for other schools. In response to ISB having less diverse representation in leadership positions, Gavin states that it is difficult to change people’s mindset to hire a very diverse leadership team, especially when the people who have previously held that position have primarily been people in the majority. However, he is hopeful and says “I do think the ISB hiring process can change in the future.” Currently, the DEIJ committee at ISB is trying to diversify the faculty, and Mr. Barnwell commends the committee for its commitment to this important issue.
In conclusion, ISB is making huge strides to diversify its student body and the faculty. The diversity of students and teachers brings new perspectives into schools that help bring ideas and experiences so they can learn more from each other. Diversity is crucial for the ISB community and culture.
Works Cited
What the data tells us about diversity in international school teaching staff and leadership "What The Data Tells Us About Diversity In International School Teaching Staff And Leadership". Cois.Org, 2021, https://www.cois.org/about-cis/news/post/~board/perspectives-blog/post/what-the-data-tells-us-about-diversity-in-international-school-teaching-staff-and-leadership. Accessed 5 Oct 2022.
About ISB | ISB Annual Report | International School Bangkok "About ISB | ISB Annual Report | International School Bangkok". International School Bangkok, 2022, https://www.isb.ac.th/about/annual-report/. Accessed 29 Oct 2022.
"Does The Level Of Diversity Matter When Choosing An International School? | UWC Thailand". Uwcthailand.Ac.Th, 2022, https://uwcthailand.ac.th/does-the-level-of-diversity-matter-when-choosing-an-international-school/. Accessed 5 Oct 2022.