'British' and 'International' Schools abroad

Outside the UK, British education is exclusively in private hands as the British Government (apart from for the British armed forces in some places and for officials of the European Union in others), does not run or support any schools anywhere in the world. This means that there is a wide variety of British independent schools worldwide, large and small, some primary, some secondary and others all-through. Some have been founded by companies, others by individuals, while others are owned by parents or by teachers. It should be borne in mind that the British Government plays no part whatsoever in authorising or monitoring these schools, and while many may be excellent educational institutions, this may not always be the case.

Nor unfortunately does the term 'British School' necessarily indicate that a school actually follows a British Curriculum. There are, in some countries, schools that call themselves 'British Schools' that follow a non-British curriculum (maybe the local curriculum) and justify the name merely by teaching English to the students. Sometimes, schools that call themselves British Schools may follow the local curriculum but add in elements of the English curriculum, thereby creating a bilingual school.

On the other hand, some schools following the British curriculum may not call themselves 'British', perhaps preferring the term 'International' to reflect their cosmopolitan student body. Around the world there are many schools described as 'International'. This term can mean virtually anything, ranging from a national school of the host country that teaches English as a foreign language, to a school that follows a range of different curricula mixed together, to a school that follows a curriculum leading to the International Baccalaureat.

One recent study suggests that there are over 1,400 schools outside the UK that teach a curriculum that uses some elements of the English National curriculum or teach for recognised UK examinations such as Key Stage Tests, GCSE or A-levels. Some of these schools belong to regional or national associations abroad.

One such association is 'The Council of British International Schools' or 'COBIS', which was originally founded as 'COBISEC' in The Netherlands in 1981. For details of COBIS, please click here.