Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
Branksome Hall Asia nurtures future-thinking innovators
Students take part in a design technology class at Branksome Hall Asia on Jeju Island, in this October 2019 photo. Courtesy of Branksome Hall Asia
By Bahk Eun-ji
By Bahk Eun-ji
When the coronavirus began sweeping the country in late January, schools nationwide shifted to online learning, but most of them faced hurdles due to lack of technology infrastructure and experience.
Things were different for Branksome Hall Asia, as the school was ready to embrace this change in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic with its strong teaching of digital literacy and technology education. The school's advanced online learning infrastructure has been enabling its students to thrive in digital learning environments, actively incorporating digital devices in its classrooms.
IB education for life-changing learning experience
Branksome Hall Asia, opened on Jeju Island in 2012, has grown to become a prestigious international school. The institute produces outstanding graduates as a result of its excellent curriculum, teaching staff and educational environment based on the 117 years of tradition of Branksome Hall in Canada.
About 90 percent of the school's graduates were offered admission to colleges on the list of the world's top 100 universities as selected by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), an in-depth analysis of higher education institutions around the world, including Yale University, Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University and the London School of Economics and Political Science. This year, graduates were offered scholarships worth more than $4 million from leading universities.
Apart from the academic achievements that allow students to enter into such prestigious universities abroad, Cinde Lock, principal of Branksome Hall Asia, said she wants her students to confidently carry their responsibility to create a better world.
Cinde Lock, principal of Branksome Hall Asia /Courtesy of Branksome Hall Asia
“The most surprising part when officials from regional education offices and teachers look around our school is that students ask questions passionately, solve problems and expand thinking. In our school, we lead students to play a leading role in learning through hands-on activities,” Lock said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.
The principal took their “carbon-free Jeju project” that led to win the International School Award 2020 in the category of “Initiative to support students as future-thinking innovators” as an example, an interdisciplinary students' project involving micro greenhouses, considering social, economic and environmental problems.
The school also encourages its students to engage with various service learning projects involving the contexts and concepts which best align with the United Nations Global Goals, which represent the real needs that exist in every community in the world today, Lock added.
Although it is also the only international girls' school in Korea, the primary level is mixed-gender. In particular, it is the only school in Jeju Global Education City that offers an International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum to all students.
Boys are enrolled in the junior school and are grouped to ensure that they are in classes with both other boys and girls. The school supports the boys' transition to other international schools on the completion of junior school at the end of grade 5. It is also set to introduce scholarships to talented boys in the near future.
“One of many advantages of IB programs is that it cultivates students' potentials with both depth and variety. At Branksome Hall Asia, we challenge our students with the rigorous academic curriculum that facilitates students' problem-solving and critical-thinking skills expressed through both writing and speaking,” Lock said.
Branksome Hall Asia is known for its excellent IB curriculum, which is still poorly known among Korean parents. However, IB has recently been recognized by Korean education authorities as well, such as Jeju and Daegu's offices of education which are highly interested in implementing IB course materials in their public schools.
Lock emphasized the school is the only international IB World School on Jeju, offering IB curriculum to all its students. Established in 1968 in Switzerland, IB is a continuum education program with a focus on problem solving and fostering leaders of the future.
IB is regarded internationally as over 3,000 universities in over 70 countries worldwide accept the IB Diploma Program (IBDP), and more than 3,000 schools and 170,000 students go through IBDP exams every year, according to data from the International Baccalaureate Organization.
Branksome Hall Asia campus on Jeju Isalnd /Courtesy of Branksome Hall Asia
Some regard international schools here as only catering to children from wealthy families due to their high tuition fees. The principal braced for such criticism but said that, with the high level of school support, parents with high expectations can expect to see their children flourish there.
“Our campus boasts a state-of-the-art design technology program, a cutting-edge Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) facility, extensive beautiful grounds and wonderful sports facilities including an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Our program is internationally recognized, and our teachers are all hand-picked for their expertise, experience and qualifications,” she said.
“Naturally, all of this is expensive to bring together. But with the full support, our students explore their real passions and interests through their school life, and develop themselves to advance their future.”
Considering that as many as 66 percent of the 2020 graduates were offered university scholarships, for many the investment in their education has already started to pay off. In addition to the strategic-thinking and problem-solving skills they acquire through their years at Branksome Hall Asia, the students boast one of the highest average scores around the world, with an average score of 37 this year.
“Most importantly, it is their passion they found at our school and life-long connections they built at the school will help them build a future for themselves as leaders of tomorrow.”
How the school takes lead in online learning
Titled “eBranksome,” its online learning program which was launched just one day after the school was ordered to cancel in-person classes in February, the school's successful nine-week period of remote education.
Terry McAdams, the school's director of learning technologies, said Branksome Hall Asia was ready to deliver high-quality education online when asked.
Terry McAdams, director of learning technologies at Branksome Hall Asia /Courtesy of Branksome Hall Asia
“We have a Director of Learning Technologies whose team includes three pedagogical technology integrators and three IT technicians to support the use of technology throughout the school. All of our teachers receive regular and extensive training on technological pedagogy,” McAdams said.
“And for several years, there has been a requirement for all departments and year groups to develop resources for the Learning Management System so that students can access resources remotely. Team teaching with technology integrators is part of the normal week and as a consequence of this approach all of our faculty are comfortable using technology.”
As a result of this solid preparation, Branksome Hall Asia is able to offer quality education online when in-classroom instruction is interrupted by unforeseen circumstances such as extreme weather or public health emergencies.
“If the situation with Covid-19 halts instruction in classrooms, we will switch back to online learning to ensure that our high educational standards are maintained," said McAdams.
The school's model of remote learning is tailored to the students' needs in each of the junior, middle and senior school divisions.
For example, for younger students, who have one main class teacher, the timing of lessons are more flexible. For the early learners, virtual teaching interactions require parents or guardians to be present.
A leadership team of the school conducted extensive research on what is considered to be the ideal blend of synchronous and asynchronous learning. All teachers were given thorough training in online education, which meant they were able to offer high-quality classes grounded in research.
International students from the United States, Australia, Canada and Hong Kong pose for a photo at the Branksome Hall Asia campus. / Branksome Hall Asia 2020
“I shine, when you shine”
Following the motto of the school, “I shine, when you shine,” excessive competition is not a thing the students dwell on. The school chooses to focus on cooperation rather than competition as they believe cooperation is more essential than ever in a modern society with such specialization of knowledge.
“Also, an environment where cooperation is cherished supports emotional growth and development. The motto supports the wellbeing of our students, and gives them confidence and stability as they move forward into the more independent learning environment of university,” Lock said.
Empowerment of women, the school's biggest role
Empowerment of women has become the most important principle here in Korea and the principal said that supporting girls in science and technology is the key approach to achieving that goal.
With STEAM-focused classrooms and facilities, the school creates a hub of innovation, collaboration and creativity.
“I think that this is something we do very well, partly because we are a girls' school in middle and senior, and partly because we have such great staff and facilities dedicated to supporting students as they make connections in these fields of learning,” Lock said.
She emphasized that the education the school provides to its students is tailored to their needs. It has a teacher-student ratio of 1:7, and 80 percent of the teachers hold a master's degree or higher, so the students have the best start in life.
“This is clear to see,” Lock said, “as the students proceed to some of the most prestigious universities in the world.”