The recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 has already had and looks likely to continue to have a serious impact on human health, personal life and business operations around the globe. Worrying developments are emerging daily, with Italy yesterday announcing restrictions on travel for the entire population.
The education sector is grappling with the human and business implications of the virus and what it means in the immediate and longer-term for pupils, staff, teaching, future admissions as well as the economics of international schools in China and elsewhere.
Since early January, with the recognition of the outbreak in Wuhan, education institutions have faced numerous challenges. Schools in a number of regions are closed down, such as in China and the Middle East. Staff are trapped overseas. Examiners are unable or unwilling to travel to locations with known outbreaks, putting, for example, a number of music examinations on hold. Construction of campuses in China has halted, potentially delaying intended opening dates. Further to this troubling (and incomplete) list, there are significant business planning implications as it is not known how long the restrictive measures will last.
Serious concerns are developing over teacher recruitment from Europe to destinations affected, with British schools having perhaps 50 percent of teaching staff from the UK and other European countries. This is of concern to those already established schools, and worse for those intending to open or expand in 2020. For schools that had planned to open campuses in affected areas teacher recruitment challenges, coupled with construction delays, might strain the relationship with their international partners, and it is hoped that robust contracts will lead to fair resolutions.
Home and online learning solutions have necessarily been speedily developed, and staff trained to deliver them. Fee-paying schools have additional pressure from parents, who could potentially attempt to withhold fees if they do not feel they are getting the desired standard of education. Pastoral care and extracurricular activities are key aspects of good school provision (ones in which British private schools excel) which cannot be satisfactorily delivered virtually.
This is focusing minds on what radical online learning looks like and the best platforms to deliver it. The value of a good IT Director has been recognised. Providers already in the virtual learning space, such as online tutoring, are thriving and there are reports that private equity firms are boosting their involvement in educational technology. As well as online learning, restrictions and self-isolation, are creating a testbed for office teams working from home, with some realising this can lead to a boost in productivity and others finding that a lack of face to face time can have damaging consequences.
It seems that the tide may be turning, with the virus reportedly stabilising in China, while the UK is bracing itself for a further spread of the virus and increased restrictions. This could see a number of the currently most immediate problems dissipating and being replaced with a series of further challenges. This crisis, and others, such as the riots in Hong Kong (which seem to be on hold during this time), highlight the importance of resilience and flexibility in international education institutions.
This article follows a roundtable held in partnership with King & Wood Mallesons on 10 March 2020.
Wild Search will produce a second report later this year focusing on British Schools establishing overseas campuses, following our 2019 report, Exporting Excellence.
