Growing internationalism vital for modern education

Growing internationalism vital for modern education

Simon Marcus Gower
Jakarta

It has, to some extent, become habit for people to propose
that we now live in "the age of globalization", but globalization
has been an on-going process for literally centuries now. We only
have to think of the Indonesian archipelago to see this in
action; think of the centuries that colonizers, merchants,
traders and spreaders of religious messages have come to the
archipelago and had a lasting influence upon it.

Some people try to resist globalization and see it as a bad
thing that diminishes the world's culture and diversity. But,
like it or not, globalization is upon us and among us and we
simply cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand and deny it.

Whilst there may be damaging excesses or there may even be, as
I recently heard one commentator put it almost apologizing for
globalization, "side-effects", we cannot afford to morosely and
in a practically defeatist way reject it. It will go on
regardless of rejection and, in a way, roll on past the
rejecters.

It is far better and more constructive to have a proactive
response to it than a dismissive rejection of it. This is perhaps
particularly the case when it comes to education. The value of
having a more international perspective to ones education cannot
really be underestimated.

There are those, however, that suggest that internationalism
in education does not work and/ or claim that there is no great
influence to be associated with having an international outlook.
They suggest that any such influence is "a very limited prospect"
for Indonesia but I think it reasonable and appropriate to state
that from just such a "limited prospect" great things can be
achieved. Even working with just a relatively small group of
students can have an impact that, though not immediately obvious,
can be considerable.

This is an experience that many international educators can
and probably will have. To see students genuinely having mind
broadening experiences in school is not only a great joy but also
a tangible result from internationally orientated education. The
opposite of this experience can be painful and saddening.

For example, it is possible to meet children in both Europe
and Indonesia who have little or no awareness of the world beyond
their hometowns or the borders of their respective countries.
They are, essentially, uneducated about the larger world in which
they live. Now it may be stated by some that they really have no
need to know more of the world but this does sound terribly
patronizing and limiting of their potential.

By bringing a greater degree of international perspective to
the education setting of our twenty-first century world (even if
these efforts seem limited to some people) we are surely
proactively doing the right thing in helping to equip students
with the knowledge and potential to understand the complexity of
the world around them.

That complexity and highly integrated nature of the modern
world effectively means that students need broad horizons; a
breadth of vision that allows them to comprehend the world as it
is and how they can act and interact with it. This does not mean
that they should become overwhelmed and consumed by it, but
rather that they should be equipped with the powers of discretion
and discernment to make the most of themselves within it without
losing their own essence as distinct and individual participants
in the world.

In this way it seems most appropriate that students benefit
from gaining an international awareness in school but do not
become so immersed in it that they lose their own individual or
home national identity. This is not to suggest that school
students should be enveloped in a kind of xenophobic nationalism
but rather is to hope that an international awareness through
education can be balanced with respect for who or where people
are.

It is, though, possible to see ways in which a kind of
negative influence of internationalization can occur in the minds
of school-age children. For example, in a recent conversation
with some junior high school children it was found that one
student was held up for quite cruel and painful ridicule. He was
left outside of the group and was clearly being forced to
experience an isolation that was neither deserved nor pleasant
for him.

So, what was the cause of him being cast out of the group of
his peers? Upon the slightest of investigations it was found that
it was because -- quote -- "he's stupid, he cannot speak
English." This was soon found not really to be true; whilst he
could not speak English as well as his excluding peers, he did
have some English but was evidently very self-conscious and timid
to try to use the limited English he had and in no way whatsoever
was he stupid.

Certainly children can be cruel in the things that they say to
and about each other but in this case they had arrived at a
conclusion of stupidity based almost exclusively on a lack of
English. Questioned further on this odd conclusion it was
proposed that "if you can't speak English you're no good and you
won't get a good job when you leave school." Childish notions but
notions nonetheless that portray cruel and misguided thinking.

Here, then, we can surely see that there is a need for a
balancing act to be played in modern and internationalized
education. Internationalizing of education with its accompanying
broadening of perspectives and thought is positive and fitting
for the world we live in today. But alongside of such
internationalization should be placed respect and appreciation
for local context and content. To provide one without the other
would be a misfortune that could and should be avoided.

To be able to learn more of our world is a great good fortune
and it is a gift that should be given to as many school students
as possible. An ability to think and act both locally and
globally then becomes possible. Internationalizing education is
positive but it should not negate or exclude local context and
values.

The writer is an education consultant.