International schools are worried by the “pace and scope” of the US government’s moves to pressure organisations to phase out diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) practices, according to the Council of International Schools (CIS).
In a , she notes that since the new US administration took office, the clear shift against these policies has meant that many programmes and funding options available to schools may be at risk.
“Ongoing regulatory changes in the United States (since they began in February) are impacting educational funding and programmes, focusing on institutional practices and the language used to highlight the values of diversity, equity and inclusion,” she writes.
“These changes are being implemented at pace and with a scope many did not expect, causing uncertainty and worry.”
As a result, she says, CIS has had “numerous inquiries” from member schools asking about “the appropriate terminology to use when discussing identity”.
Policy changes and agency cuts
Ms Larsson also notes that broader policy moves by the US government, such as closing overseas departments, and the wider cultural mode in the country are causing worry too, both for schools and students considering their university options.
“The primary concerns we’re hearing are...potential enrolment impacts on schools serving internationally mobile families and governmental workers due to policy changes and agency cuts,” she writes.
“[And] the uncertainty facing students planning to attend universities in other countries due to potential changes in immigration policy, new restrictions on academic content and recruitment programmes, and what they can expect when they arrive.”
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Ms Larsson says the organisation will discuss these issues at its forthcoming , and consider how it can respond to the challenges faced.
“We will look at the current forces impacting international education, [and] consider what we can do together and how we can most effectively support each other across sectors and professions,” she writes.
She also reiterates that despite these challenges, CIS remains “committed to upholding our values and , which are strong, clear and unchanged”.
The CIS stance mirrors that of the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), which recently announced it had refreshed its own accreditation and compliance standards to enhance the focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and belonging (DEIJB).
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