The “International School” at 100: How Myth has Shaped the Field and Future Implications

Abstract The concept of the modern international school celebrated its centennial in 2024. While international schools are found in nearly every country, no agreed definition exists, as the sector remains unregulated, and schools self-identify as international and choose how they embody the concept. Despite the vast diversity within the sector, a model of the ideal international school continues to dominate the field’s collective imagination. This chapter argues that the 1960s ideal international school can be understood as a myth: in the Barthesian sense, an unattainable yet influential vision that remains central to the field. This myth shapes how schools present their missions, curricula, and values, and it influences how researchers approach the study of international schools. Through a reflexive engagement with key academic works, the study traces how the ideal international school has persisted despite demographic shifts and changes in organizational structures. It examines how these schools, positioned within transnational flows of people, capital, and ideas, impact the global education industry (GEI). Ultimately, international schools, historically difficult to define, remain connected through the idealized model established in the 1960s by educators tied to the International Baccalaureate (IB) obscuring newer attempts to categorize and theorize the field.