Christopher Short, Managing Director of Nord Anglia Education India speaks to T P Venu on education, managing schools and the IB program
.Take us through your journey?
I am from UK and went to school in the UK but I grew up overseas in various countries around the world. I’ve been fortunate to do that in six different countries and territories now as an adult. So I’ve been teaching for 31 years, originally a Chemistry and Math teacher specializing in IGCSC and A level schools, a very much British curriculum.
More recently I’ve been involved in IB schools and became a head of a school about 20 years ago in Dubai in the Middle East and then I’ve gone on to run schools in Vietnam, Singapore China and then moved into this role here now. Scuba diving is my main passion away from work.
.How are students and teachers of Hyderabad different to schools in other countries?
Across the last three countries that I’ve worked in-Vietnam Singapore and China, parents here want the same high-quality outcomes, so they want excellent examination results. Whether that is in the IB or CBSE.
Children going to universities, whether in India or around the world, need 21st-century skills with wider attributes so whether that’s interpersonal skills, resilience or the ability to balance their lives in terms of feeding themselves, making sure they exercise, making sure that they have the right sort of mental health support.
.People always compare IGCSC and the IB and most experts talk about the CAS program. Is that a differentiator?
I think so. Good schools have always had what we, the IB schools, call a CAS program. When I was at school doing A Levels, in the 1980s, we still had to do a service element. The IB has done very well is making sure that the importance of that is a recognized part of the IB diploma. You have to do it and you have to do well in order to get good scores in it. They’ve codified something that good schools have been doing for hundreds of years.
.There is a notion that one gets into an IB School and considers that it is a stepping stone to get into a foreign university. Is it wrong to only confine it to this particular thought?
IB is a very broad course. It requires high academic rigour. There’s no doubt about it. It’s got a breadth that is very useful in terms of ensuring that students carry on with mathematics. Ensuring they carry on with multiple languages. This is obviously very important here in India. It also adds those other 21st-century skills that are needed.
It is well regarded and it is a stepping stone to good universities because the universities realize that a good IB score shows that the student has the academic promise to excel at their school and they also have those wider skills, so they’re going to come good and they’re going to thrive. Universities don’t want to accept students just because they got the grades to get in and then they drop out after six months. There are statistics in other countries of that happening in quite large numbers.
No two kids learn in a similar manner. That’s a very huge challenge for teachers because in a class of 30. Your comments.
We had a global EDI meeting in Tanzania. Representatives from over 80 schools attended it. One teacher in Tanzania highlighted the challenge of managing an 80-student class, prompting discussion on varied learning styles.
This underscores why we aim for manageable class sizes, typically under 30, and emphasize flexible teaching approaches. It’s about setting up learning activities that accommodate diverse learning methods. As a former educator, I’ve seen how a single lesson can resonate differently with each student, leading to those ‘light bulb’ moments where alternative approaches click.
I often find insightful content online, including innovative math teaching methods. It reminds me of the complexity and creativity in teaching. AI tools like ChatGPT are increasingly used but require careful integration into education. They shouldn’t replace critical thinking but enhance it.
The IB’s approach, encouraging careful use and proper citation of AI, seems prudent. It’s about leveraging technology without compromising academic integrity. There is a need for reinvention in response to technological advancements like AI and cloud computing.
.So I think you’re talking about these leadership qualities and critical skills that the IB develops. Could you give some examples?
I use my daughter as an example: she did the IB, went back to the UK. The IB is actually not particularly common in the UK so she was you know one of a very few students to do it. Most of her friends were A level students and she found that she could manage her time very well because she was used to doing that through her two years of doing the diploma program.
She was used to writing an essay because the extended essay program had really taught her those skills but she then also knew she had to join a local sports team because she had to carry on that aspect of her life so that she had that sort of healthy balance. She left University four years ago and is still playing netball to this day you know. Now that she’s working, it’s one of those things.
You need to learn leadership skills and they’ve come into the fore. She now works for the UK NHS Health System. She’s using leadership skills day in day out in terms of what she has to do within her workplace.
.What are the challenges of running an institution in India in relation to the government rules?
The Indian government is very open to quality education. The Indian population is very aspirational they’re looking for good schools; parents are looking for their children to be able to go on and succeed whether that’s studying here or studying overseas.
There is no difference between working in China, Singapore or Vietnam. They all have different policies but they tend to want to support what we are doing. There is quite a healthy and vibrant culture of schools such as ours that are sort of providing an alternative to government provision. I think that leads to a sort of healthy environment for us in most.
.In India, if one were to establish a school it has to be run under the society and also not for profit basis. So do you think is an impediment for development and progress of a particular group like Nord Anglia?
I think it provides the Indian government with reassurance that schools are setting themselves up to prioritize students and parents. Could we streamline things a little bit? Possibly, but I think the system works well. Companies like ours that support schools in this journey are happy with the relationship and the opportunities we have within it.
.There is a CSR component the Indian government talks about. What are your views on this aspect?
I think the 2% profit rule is a good one. I have not seen it elsewhere. We’ve used it to get involved in some really interesting projects. We’ve supported some schools and orphanages here in Hyderabad and schools in other states within India. It allows us to give back in a wider sphere.
We support the Hyderabad Zoo, because that allows our schools access and supports both our students and other children who like to visit the zoo. I’m not aware that it’s something we are required to do in other countries we operate in, certainly not in the countries I’ve worked in.
.Any expansion plans for Oakridge?
We have a team of people based both in India and outside of India talking to potential new partners. We are concentrated very much in the south of India at the moment with the exception of our school in Mohali; there are obviously a few cities where we are not in yet. That is something that we have a look at.
.Do schools under your umbrella help each other?
Our school in Gachibowli, Hyderabad has been going for over 25 years. They have been able to support in that that process. We also partner with other North Anglia schools in the Middle East and Southeast Asia especially and again another great source of support.
For example our school in Vizag has a boarding element and we have a school in Thailand with a boarding element and so they are supporting each other and we’re just setting up exchanges between them. It is quite exciting place to be and we take a group of teachers to our annual conference every year. We went to Hanoi last, this year in March. I think we introduced 40 of our Indian colleagues to Vietnamese food. We are taking our administration people to Kuala Lumpur in December for the same thing and then we’ve got another Teachers Conference in Jordan next March.
.Is it a challenge to get good qualified teachers?
The teacher recruitment market has changed a lot, especially since Covid. People are looking for flexibility, working from home, and similar benefits. We offer good add-ons like comprehensive training programs. For instance, we have four teachers currently pursuing their masters at Kings College in London, fully funded by us. Additionally, we run internal leadership courses at different levels, which receive excellent feedback.
In India, eight individuals are enrolled in our middle leadership course; and three to four are in the senior leadership course. So, it’s not just about the salary; it’s also about the value-added benefits we provide. While there’s a slight shift in the teacher recruitment market, it hasn’t posed significant challenges, based on discussions with colleagues both within and outside our organization.
