Cultivating young female leaders

Students play volleyball during a gym class at Branksome Hall Asia, the Canadian girls’ school’s first overseas campus on Jeju Island. / Courtesy of Branksome Hall Asia

Branksome Hall Asia offers IB program

Glen Radojkovich, principal of Branksome Hall Asia

By Bahk Eun-ji

Branksome Hall Asia (BHA) has been playing a pivotal role in cultivating young female leaders, helping them find their own talent, said Glen Radojkovich, principal of BHA, the prestigious Canadian girls’ school’s first overseas campus on Jeju Island.

The school was opened in Jeju Global Education City on Oct. 15, 2012, as its first and only overseas campus. It has maintained its educational philosophy and teaching system for 110 years and the principal said BHA has reflected them well so far.

“From Kindergarten to grade 12, all students are studying under the international baccalaureate (IB) program and grade 9 students are provided chances to study at the mother school in Toronto through an exchange program,” the principal said.

The strongest point of the school is it offers a balanced curriculum. Drama and music courses are regular subjects, which take up an important part of the curriculum.

Students write and stage plays, and some play musical instruments once a year. The drama and music show is one of the most important events for both students and parents, as it is an opportunity to check on how they have been doing with teachers and friends in school.

“I went to a regular high school for two months right before I came here, and soon enough, I noticed a lot of differences between them. I think the way of learning is greatly different here,” said Yoo Yeon-su, a student in grade 10, who attended an ordinary high school in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.

“For example, while I had to sit down and just read many books and memorize them in the class from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the regular school, I can learn everything through experience here. We really don’t have to memorize or put much information into our brains forcefully. I think it’s more fun to learn this way.”

Students play musical instruments to celebrate the “Purple Carpet Ceremony,” one of the most important events at Branksome Hall Asia on Jeju Island. The event is an annual award ceremony to appreciate students for their outstanding achievements in different categories such as art, music and academia. / Courtesy of Branksome Hall Asia

The following is an excerpt of questions and answers during an interview with Radojkovich.

Q:

It has been nine months since the school was opened, what are the major achievements so far?

A:

I think the key achievement is we were authorized as an IB world school, which is a huge achievement. We have a group of students who have made phenomenal progress in academics, sports and the arts.

One example is some students hosting a model United Nations here and leading in that area. So across all areas in just under a year, we’ve established ourselves as a very strong international school with students who demonstrate leadership in many areas.

Although students enrolled at BHA are those who have proven their level of English is good enough to take classes, English is a second language for them and obstacles are expected to arise. How do you manage this?

Some of the most interesting transitions for the girls is they have found their voice as we’ve been helping in that way.

When the girls first arrived, they were accustomed to different types of instruction, and interaction in larger classrooms. When we received the girls here, we wanted them to ask questions, we wanted them to look for answers.

That was somewhat new for them, and they were perhaps concerned about making mistakes but they started to develop their confidence.

Because we value that you learn from mistakes. We say “You learn by making mistakes, you learn by asking questions, and by inquiring.” Particularly the girls in the senior school are a little bit sensitive about making mistakes.

But they soon grow to appreciate the mistakes. You know, they began to think it is fine to do it, and it’s not fatal. One of the most noteworthy things for the girls is that they raise questions, they regularly talk to the teachers consistently, and it was a very excellent exchange.

The girls are finding their voice; that is one of the most important things for both us and the students in this school.

There are three international schools on Jeju Island including BHA. What are the differences in teaching method and what are the advantages of the school compared to others?

The big difference is that we have three programs as an IB school. Students learn IB from junior kindergarten and all the way through to graduation.

Furthermore, BHA is a specialist in boarding. We have two separate staffs to support the students. Teachers are separated into two departments ― teaching in the evening and teaching during the day. Additionally, we are obviously specialized in girls’ education and providing leadership opportunities for young women.