Traditionally a school nearly all expat parents would target on arrival, UWC South East Asia (UWCSEA) has two campuses, with around 2,400 at its East campus, and another 3,000-plus students at its Dover campus.
Of (private, international) schools in the city, only Singapore American School (SAS) and perhaps Tanglin Trust have traditionally competed with UWCSEA in terms of parent affections. SAS is clearly US-focused however, while Tanglin Trust is more UK-centric – although both claim to be international in outlook, and the latter now also offering IB. This has left UWCSEA as the international option in the middle.
Aside from its strong positioning in one of the most international cities on earth, the school is enduringly popular because it delivers results, reliably and consistently almost since its founding in the early 1970s. And not just academically.
UWCSEA is almost as rigorous in pushing an external life and activities outside the classroom as it is academic success. Its mission is to link five elements: academics, activities, outdoor education, personal and social education, and service. This focus has grown from its origins, from it being part of United World College (UWC), a school group founded by one of the world’s most influential educationalists, Kurt Hahn, who had previously founded Schule Schloss Salem in Germany and Gordonstoun in Scotland. Hahn is also largely responsible for the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme.
Hahn’s philosophy clearly seeps through into the school’s current thinking, and it fits very well where the only constant is change:
“At UWCSEA we believe it is dangerous to revere the learned at the expense of the learners. Too much is changing too quickly for self-congratulatory insularity, and it is all too easy for even the best qualified adults to inadvertently educate young people for the recent past instead of the students’ future.
That is why, at UWCSEA, we are unambiguous in our mission: we provide a values driven education in which five elements—academics, activities, outdoor education, personal and social education and service—are fused so that students are equipped with the skills, ambition and compassion to impact ethically and significantly in a global context…” Chris Edwards, Head of College, UWCSEA.
A UWC school
In terms of teaching and curriculum, UWCSEA is committed to the UWC’s mission to “unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future”. Both campuses are focused on equipping students with the skills “to become compassionate, engaged global citizens who seek to make positive differences towards peace and a sustainable future”. It’s an education that goes well beyond the classroom and will certainly appeal to families looking for learning experiences in ‘real’ situations.
The school says:
“Our whole learning programme is guided by the UWC Mission. Every part of our curriculum, including the academic side, service, outdoor education, and personal and social education, links back to the Mission. It’s at the core of everything that we do.”
