Why accreditation matters in international education

The privilege of working in education across several countries has taught me one thing: children everywhere are more alike than they are different.

Whether I was teaching in the USA or leading in Europe, Middle East or South Asia, children shared the same curiosity, same energy and same potential.

What changed from place to place was the school environment. How safe did the children feel? How was their learning structured? How did the teachers work together for their students?

This is where international accreditation becomes so important.

Accreditation is not a marketing tool or just another certificate to showcase on the wall. It is a long, careful and ongoing review by independent experts. They assess every aspect of a school, including teaching standards, safety, governance, inclusivity and whether the school is improving year after year. For families, it builds trust and shows that their child's school is being held to the highest international standards.

Alongside accreditation, the curriculum also plays a big role in preparing students for the future. I have worked with a few different curricula in my years in education. From firsthand experience, the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum stands out. It is an internationally recognized, curriculum for students aged 3-19, which aims not only to develop students' knowledge in a range of subjects and disciplines, but also to help them become confident, self-motivated, and resilient global citizens.

It's much different from the other curricula I have worked with. The IB curriculum equips learners with skills that they will carry into their adult lives. It encourages students to think critically, work with others and take risks. One of my favorite examples is the Theory of Knowledge course. It pushes them to connect ideas across subjects and helps them understand that it is not always about finding the one right answer. There can be many different ways of understanding the world.

When IB and accreditation come together, the result is tremendous.

Reputable international schools that work with accreditation frameworks such as Council of International Schools (CIS) and New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) demonstrate their commitment to high quality international education.

CIS International Accreditation is an evaluation framework that provides a structured methodology for reflection, evaluation, and development for a school community to deploy and ensure systematic and continuous school improvement. NEASC Accreditation is also as much a developmental process as an evaluative one. NEASC meets schools where they are in their process of building greater effectiveness as impactful learning communities. Having these accreditations confirms that the schools are caring for their students' well-being and that their learning goals are met. This combination reassures parents and universities alike that the graduates aren't only academically strong but also well-prepared for life beyond school.

There are many schools in Bangladesh with the word 'international' in their names, but not all of them go through the rigorous accreditation process. But in International School Dhaka, we hold both CIS and NEASC accreditation. We are also an IB World School, which means the International Baccalaureate authorizes us to run their programs for students between the ages of 3 to 19. This gives families the confidence that their children, our students, are getting an education that is aligned with global standards, not just in name but in practice. It reinforces the fact that our students' safety, learning opportunities and overall well-being are central to everything we do.

In the end, what matters the most is how our students experience these efforts. Accreditation teams often leave schools with detailed recommendations. When schools take the feedback seriously and act on it, students thrive.

As an institution of learning, it's vital that we continue to listen, learn and develop. It's exactly what we would expect of our students, and we're rightly accountable to our students and parents. Accreditation agencies are at the forefront of best practice and help ensure that we strive for educational excellence, evolving, while staying true to our values.

That, in the end, is what education should always be about.

Ann Lindsey is Dean of Student Success, Secondary Division, International School Dhaka (ISD)