Growing the Family: News fromDulwich International
MR CHRIS PARSONS
5 ,000 plus and growing benefiting from a Dulwich education overseas once Dulwich College Singapore opens its doors in August 2014. This means that, with over 1,000 staff, Dulwich College International is generally regarded as the foremost group linked to a British independent school in the world. 2013 marked ten years since the opening of Dulwich College Shanghai, the first Dulwich school in China, and during the intervening period the schools have established enviable reputations for academic rigour, co-curricular endeavour and outstanding facilities. There is constant reinvestment in improvements. Visitors to www. dulwich-singapore.sg have been able to watch a live feed of the construction works there as the new school rises from the ground and takes shape; Dulwich College Beijing not only boasts a brand new building for teaching and learning, but now has its own ice rink; and a new building on the main campus for Early Years provision has been announced. In Seoul, older pupils have since steadily: that’s the number of pupils that will be
January enjoyed a new swimming pool and new science facilities. And in Suzhou, all senior school pupils are now taught in their own new building, complete with a swimming pool, sports hall and theatre. This new building presents architecturally a modern echo of our own Barry Buildings – a tangible reminder that the Dulwich schools in Asia share with London an ethos and a commitment to excellence, but adapt their institutions to fit the modern and international context in which they find themselves. Dulwich College Suzhou is the first of the Dulwich international schools to offer boarding in a brand new facility. This brings advantages for our own London students, too. Following a tradition that has already been in existence for some time, five of the College’s leavers this summer will be taking up positions as gap year assistants in Suzhou and will live in the new boarding house. They will help out with sports, music, English language teaching and general duties, and enjoy a chance to discover the historic city of Suzhou and to travel around China. Staff
from London, too, can benefit from links to their counterparts in Asia: teachers from London have this year travelled to China to attend conferences, training or events in the fields of music, art and teachers’ professional development. The existence of a Dulwich network likewise allows some staff a chance for career development by taking up new posts abroad, whilst remaining within the Dulwich family. Next year, 2015, will see the most exciting collaborative venture yet between all the Dulwich schools as Dulwich College Beijing hosts the first Dulwich Olympiad for sport and music. It is hoped that more than 100 boys from London will fly out to China for a chance to compete in this event and meet some of their counterparts at the Dulwich Colleges in Asia. In a progressively more interconnected world, such chances to experience internationalism in action provide a valuable insight into a future where moving between countries for work, play and study will be increasingly common.
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