Francis Retter - Internationalism at BJAB

Francis Retter, Headteacher at British Junior Academy of Brussels (BJAB) in Belgium, talks about his experience of his first ever Round Square International Conference in Dubai and why it is more important than ever to take an international outlook. 

Transcript

Francis Retter 0:09

Good afternoon everyone. I'm recording this a few days later than I originally had thought. My self-imposed deadline for this post was just before the Round Square International Conference, and whilst I had collected a few thoughts, preparations for the trip to Dubai, my first ever RSIC, took over somewhat. Now, having had seven wonderful days in the UAE and a seven-hour flight to gather my thoughts on internationalism, just hours after landing, and of course a bit of sleep, I find myself now back in my office in Brussels, having pressed the record button. At my school Bijab, the British Junior Academy of Brussels, we are truly international. A British curriculum school, currently aged 3 to 16, of only 304 students but 41 nationalities. We are based in the capital city of Belgium and truly reflect the great diversity of our city. I contrast this to where I grew up myself four to five decades ago in a year group where 90 of us who started at age 11 finished in the same place seven years later. Perhaps a more common experience for the majority of young people around the world. Our students at BJAB have frequently lived in three or four countries themselves already, and many are better travelled at age 13 than their head teacher at 53. All of the Round Square ideals resonate here at BJAB, but none perhaps so much as internationalism, as it truly permeates all that we do. We are slowly and carefully weaving the Round Square ideals and discovery framework into our own set of 20 traditional BJAB values developed over the past 33 years, integrating them alongside the IB learner profile and the equivalent values of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. This is an exciting task, and internationalism is sure to remain a key attribute. It's been a joy to see the school grow since starting our candidacy period from year 8 to year 11, and we look forward to contributing fully as global members as we add year 12 next year and year 13 a year later. As head, I have the privilege of walking into so many absolutely amazing lessons. It's not unusual to have five or six different nationalities in the classroom, sometimes more. This creates a thoroughly stimulating environment. It's a feature of the school that parents, students, and teachers truly value, with, for example, a first lesson I saw recently at secondary level on World War II containing a German, an Italian, two Japanese, a Belgian, a Brit, and a student from the US. Now, in a world where echo chambers seem to polarise careful thought, it's more important than ever for us to take an international outlook. I looked around the closing ceremony at the RSIC, and I'm sure that I was not the only person present to wonder whether the world would not be a different place if some of the powerful individuals in the world today had attended such a conference when they were 15 to 18. There is more to us than we know, is of course Kurt Hahn's famous quote used often by Round Square. We could modify this perhaps to there is more to us together than we know. The ability to listen to others, to appreciate the views of others, and to develop shared understanding are also crucial to both Round Square and BJAB. From Kurt Hahn, I move perhaps unusually to Rudyard Kipling, or showing my age, Billy Bragg referencing Rudyard Kipling. What do they know of England who only England know? My own specialist subject area, modern languages, has been formative for me too. By travelling and meeting and enjoying friendships with others, and by learning and aiming to master a second or third language, we live a second or a third life, giving us additional perspectives on the world around us. Beyond the Dunes was the theme of the RSIC, and it enabled us to confront our own possible preconceptions of life in Dubai with positive outcomes. Travel beyond what the tourist industry offers, engagement with other cultures, and an authentic approach helps us to do just that. The global issues that the world faces will test the ingenuity of tomorrow's leaders. As I have said, I sincerely hope they will receive the character education that students in Round Square Schools do. As Sanjeev Krishna in his keynote in Dubai reminded us, we all breathe in the same way. In other words, there is more that unites us than divides us. The similarities, the differences, and the sharing of experience give us an opportunity to learn, to appreciate, and to understand. The enduring image that I retain from the conference is one of connection, positivity, and engagement. Internationalism was a sheer joy to behold, and with the shared sense of a truly global perspective from the 1400 student delegates, adult delegates and hosts, I left feeling utterly optimistic about the future. The young people present form a future generation prepared to stand up and lead, with skills, character, and friendships that transcend national boundaries. The big common challenges facing us all will need to be dealt with by global thinking and collaboration. This was so very much in evidence over the past week. At a previous heads symposium, we were fortunate as school leaders to listen to a quite fabulous talk from Owen Eastwood, the sports psychologist who did so much work with Gareth Southgate's squad a decade ago. Remember the days when the England football team were a talented but disparate mix of individuals? His theme of the sense of belonging really resonated. It made me realise how much I feel at home in Round Square and what a good fit Round Square is for BJAB. I applaud the board of Round Square for all the time that they spend travelling around the network, nurturing new schools' journeys into Round Square and supporting so many international projects. It's much appreciated and a glowing tribute to the way that our amazing organization continues to develop and reinvent itself, navigating global troubled waters and offering a beacon of hope for the future.