For students in international schools, life often unfolds inside a bubble. But as educators work to broaden their horizons, the focus is not just on curriculum – it’s about preparing young minds to engage with a complex, changing world.

When Mr Steve Ellis arrived in Bangladesh last year as the new Secondary Principal of International School Dhaka (ISD)– bringing with him over 27 years of senior leadership experience in prestigious international and IB World Schools across Europe and Asia – one observation stood out clearly: students in international schools often grow up inside a bubble. 

Set within a carefully planned campus in a well-resourced neighborhood, meaningful exposure to the wider national education system can remain limited. Yet, Mr Ellis believes it is precisely from within this bubble that some of the most important questions begin to surface – about equity and opportunity, about leadership, and about what education should ultimately prepare young people for in an increasingly complex world.

Drawing from experience across Europe and Southeast Asia, including his most recent role as Head of Seniors at Malvern College Hong Kong and previous tenures as Deputy Director and Secondary Principal, the educator reflects on how resource gaps shape schooling in many countries, such as Bangladesh.

The local schools must function within certain limitations in infrastructure, technology, and access to advanced teacher training. Programs like the International Baccalaureate (IB), which is an inquiry-based, prestigious global curriculum focused on critical thinking and social skills, can be extremely prized as well as expensive.

For example, teacher certification alone is a huge investment, and many local schools just can’t afford it. Yet when scholarship students are absorbed into international schools, they bring with them tales of grit, curiosity, and drive – that is, they prove that talent is everywhere, even in the absence of opportunity, which is something Mr Ellis has seen first-hand at ISD.

The size of the class is another aspect. In some schools, classes of 40 to 60 students are not uncommon. While the hunger to learn may be great, the reality is that effective, individualised teaching is not always possible. The sweet spot, he suggests, is somewhere between 15 to 20 students, which allows good group dynamics to flourish and is small enough for the teachers to really know their students. Too small, and learning becomes oddly intense; teaching a class of two, he admits with a smile, can be just as challenging.

Education today is less about memorisation and more about skill-building. Photo: Courtesy

Another recurring theme is leadership. There is no one-size-fits-all approach that will work in every situation. What might be effective in Germany could be disastrous in England or Bangladesh. He says, “Leadership is like a golf bag. You need different clubs for different situations.”

Understanding local culture, expectations, and context is essential. The underlying values of international education, particularly in IB schools, remain the same, but the approach to delivering them must be appropriate to the community being served.

Inside the classroom, the move away from rote learning is the key. Education today, the IB in particular, is less about memorisation and more about skill-building: critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and flexibility. The evaluation process is no longer limited to the written test. Students can show what they know in a presentation, a project, a reflection, or a creative expression. The goal is not uniformity, but to help different students grow in different ways.

This philosophy extends beyond academics. It is not merely about academic performance to prepare students for international universities; it is about mindset. Being open-minded, understanding, and having emotional intelligence are key attributes, and even more so for students who have been raised in a privileged environment. It is all too easy to remain disconnected from the world outside the school gates without making a conscious effort. Community outreach and service learning play a vital role here. Through structured projects and partnerships, students are encouraged to leave their comfort zones and work together with others from different backgrounds. These moments, often a very emotional experience, are where humility and true leadership emerge.

Photo: Courtesy

Professional development for teachers is also seen as a continuous journey. Certification is merely the beginning. Teaching is an endless process of learning, from pedagogy to technology, from psychology to well-being. Technology can be used to bring teaching to life, or it can alienate students completely. Professional development, like learning, doesn’t happen by chance.

Finally, there is resilience – a word that is often used too freely, but which is absolutely relevant here. As someone who has led schools through times of pandemic and political instability, the educator recognises that resilience has to be taught, not assumed. Failure, stress, and uncertainty are simply inevitable in life, especially in today’s rapidly changing world. It is the responsibility of the schools to prepare the students for this by helping them develop their life skills, navigate pressure and prepare for independence beyond sheltered environments.

Education, at its best, is not about shielding students from the world but about preparing them for it. Behind the bubble is a complex world, and the true measure of a school is how well its students are ready to meet it.