Thinking about Special Educational Needs at an international school

Private schools can be selective, by definition. And international (private) international schools are patently selective, excluding students who do not meet certain standards of ability, whether that be linguistic, physical, or social. But I would argue that international schools should do more to accept students outside that range, particularly when the schools are (at least partially) funded by government or charitable foundations, and when they are intended to serve a particular population, as is the case with our school.

In the More Developed Countries, Special Educational Needs are required by law and funded by the taxpayer. Typically the principle is to educate all students together, providing as much support as possible in the main classroom or in the same building. Private schools can follow the same principle, with the extra-support funding from specific tuition surcharges, as many schools now do for ESL. It certainly makes for more challenges in planning and budgeting -- and of course in marketing, as most schools want to present themselves as elite Ivy League institutions.

Research indicates that mainstreaming has great benefits for those students who need the support, with little apparent impact on the main population. We could well argue that the main student population would be affected positively in a social and moral sense, studying in a more diverse classroom.

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