Global Competences and International Education

Education must prepare students for success in the real world called ‘life’. Our interconnectedness with the world in every issue that matters including environment, security, trade and inter-cultural peace requires the graduate of tomorrow to be globally aware and at ease in an international scenario. International schools are now synonymous with preparing students having globally competencies. Defining global competencies would mean integrating range of skills and attitudes required to not simply survive but thrive as a singular humanity in the 21st century. The world over curricula is being modified to incorporate these intra-disciplinary competencies and international schools have been embodying them in their schemes of work with stead fast devotion.

Fear can make people angry at things that they do not understand. Global competence starts by being aware, curious, and interested. Globally competent students ask and explore critical questions which are globally significant, questions that address important phenomena and events that are relevant world wide - in their own community and in communities across the globe. Students do this by gathering credible information from a variety of local, national and international sources, including those in multiple languages. Opportunities to develop these skills are interwoven in the curriculum in the form of essays, mathematical problems, scientific explanations or works of art.

Globally competent students recognize that others may or may not share their perspective. They are able to understand the factors influencing perspectives of other people, groups, or schools of thought. This is encouraged by the multicultural mix of students and teachers that international schools offer.

Since English is increasingly the world's common language for commerce and communication, globally competent students in India are encourage to not only strengthen skills in English but also develop a multi lingual credential consisting of at least one world language. To enable students to be effective and confident communicators, international schools provide students with the platform to work in collaboration with a variety of cultural groups. Globally competent students understand that the differences of culture, geography, ideology, finance, and other factors affect perception of information.

Students are media and artistically savvy; and use appropriate technology and netiquette to communicate with diverse audiences, including through respectful online social networking. In short, they are technology and media literate within a global communications environment.

To go from learning to action-ing the knowledge, it primarily takes believing that one is capable of making a difference. Globally competent students are encouraged to participate as against simply witnessing. They take appropriate action with promptness after assessing its potential impact and consequences. They show the courage to act with foresight and reflect on their actions.

Globally competent students learn to think scientifically, and creatively using the tools and methods of inquiry of various disciplines. Undertaking different disciplines also means that students learn to dissect situations from multiple perspectives. Global competence requires the students to analyze current world challenges and through an interdisciplinary lens, because of our interdependency on each other.

International schools give students the competitive advantage which comes with being able to adapt and contribute knowledge and understanding to a world that is constantly, rapidly evolving.

For more information on International IB Schools visit: http://www.oberoi-is.org