Here, there, and elsewhere: Ethnicity, identity, and global orientation at an Indian international school in Singapore

• Main Authors: GRIMLEY, Emma Alexandra, WOODS, Orlando, KONG, Lily
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2024
• Subjects: international education; ethnically affiliated schools; placemaking; mobility; placelessness; International and Comparative Education
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cis_research/271; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/cis_research/article/1270/viewcontent/126671_here_there_and_elsewhere_ethnicity_identity_and_global_orientation_at_an_indian_international_school_in_singapore.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

International schools are somewhat ‘place-less’ in that their denationalised educational systems and nationally diverse student bodies are typically removed from the physical context in which each school is located. However, this placeless internationalism is complicated by international schools that also affiliate themselves with a national system or enrol a significant number of students who aspire to remain in the ‘host’ country. This paper develops the example of the Global Indian International School in Singapore to illustrate how the feeling of place is impacted by its dual orientations as both ‘Global’ and ‘Indian.’ The school attempts to (re)create an Indian schooling environment in Singapore, cultivate a sense of Indian identity, and prepare students for internationally mobile futures. Drawing on qualitative interviews conducted with students and teachers at the Global Indian International School in Singapore, we explore placemaking practices in educational spaces and consider how they are impacted by the potentially conflicting goals of grounding students in their ethnic or cultural identities whilst simultaneously equipping them for internationally-oriented futures.