...Challenges of an African education MOBILITY ON THE RISE


Mirroring general global relocation trends, the continent is seeing a growing diversity of destinations and increasing mobility as investment in new sectors comes on stream. Interest from retailers, information and communications technology (ICT) firms, and the financial sector is adding to the traditional drivers of natural resource extraction and government and third-sector involvement, with new investment and assignee hubs coming to the fore. PwC’s 2014 study A Continent on the Move: Global Mobility


in Africa, found that, for 88 per cent of its 44 respondents with African operations, the importance of global mobility had increased. According to EY, Kenya, Ghana, and Mozambique have all recently moved up the top ten measured by the number of FDI projects, with Zambia and Uganda new entrants, and Rwanda and Tanzania among other FDI hotspots. South Africa alone, as a traditional expatriate destination and gateway to southern African economies, has seen the number of expats soar by 19 per cent over the past six years. The country accounts for 24 per cent of SSA’s FDI, followed by Nigeria (9 per cent), Kenya (8 per cent) and Angola (7 per cent). However, while many African countries are rising up the lists of emerging new assignment locations, the Biggest Challenges report by global relocation services provider Cartus has named Africa as the number-one challenging market. Brookfield Global Relocation Services conducted a survey to determine mobility activity, and found that, despite the undoubted difficulties of assignments to Africa, companies continued to send accompanying family members on assignments there.


INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL CHOICE Luckily, international schooling has also seen something of a boom in the region. According to the latest figures from the International School Consultancy (ISC) Group, there are currently 781 English-medium international schools throughout Africa, teaching more than 318,000 students. ISC names the leading Africa countries for English- medium international schools as Egypt, with 189, Nigeria, with 173, and Kenya, with 63. The city with the best provision is Cairo, where there are 102 international schools. ISC Research predicts that there will be more than 1,500 English-medium international schools in Africa by 2025. It is highly likely that relocating assignees with accompanying school-age children will look for an international school offering either a curriculum that follows


the same learning programme as their home country or an internationally transferable curriculum. With the highest percentages of assignees coming from Europe (64 per cent) and North America (60 per cent), according to the Brookfield survey, it’s not surprising that the overwhelming curriculum choice is of British or American origin.


CULTURAL IMMERSION This does not mean that families and children are completely isolated from life in their destination country. GEMS Cambridge International School, in Kampala, Uganda, opened its doors in 2013. Principal Neville Sherman explains that, while the school offers an English National Curriculum, pupils are encouraged to gain an appreciation of Ugandan culture. “Being based in Kampala, we understand well the part the school can and should play in the local community,” says Mr Sherman. “We promote pupils’ understanding of the need to support others perhaps less fortunate than themselves. Thus, part of the school’s philosophy and approach is to enrich pupils’ understanding that they are not just part of the immediate school community but part of a wider local and, indeed, global community.” Part of the GEMS education group, which has international schools around the world, GEMS Cambridge International School is located in the area of Butabika, next to the Royal Palms Estate. With thousands of expatriate and relocating children passing through their doors each year, the smooth transfer of children into each school is a priority for GEMS school leaders across the group, which also opened a Nairobi campus during 2012. “We are an English-curriculum school that will lead to students gaining internationally recognised IGCSE, AS and A-Level qualifications,” says Neville Sherman. “These provide pathways for further study at university or college or entry into the professions. As our school is based in the ‘Pearl of Africa’, we also develop our students’ understanding of the values and traditions of this unique part of East Africa.” Simon Dweck is head of international school services at Capita Education Resourcing, helping teachers find positions in international schools. “It’s important to engage with the local culture if you want to get the most out of your stay,” he says. “While the bustling and chaotic nature of the larger cities, such as Cairo, may be difficult to take in at first, you can only really appreciate it if you’re submerged in the culture.”


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