ABSTRACT
One of the major aims of sociological analysis is to understand the unintended consequences of actions that appear laudable but that may be overtaken by events. The original development of international schools was inspired by a set of ideals about the fostering of fellow feeling and cooperation. This set of ideals was given a specific educational form by the introduction of curricula such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) which provides a broad and sophisticated education. However, the current round of economic globalisation has placed the ideals associated with international schools and their programmes in a different light with respect to issues of who wins and loses in education. The place of international schools within this global competition for credentials is not just about winners and losers but whether through the agency of the winners they are implicated in the creation of a transnational ruling class (Lauder 2006). At stake, therefore, are two issues: are there groups who gain an unfair advantage in the competition for credentials by attending international schools and, do the latter act as a key route to positions of power within the global economy? If so, do they have a common view of the world that enables them to act as a class in rationalising their economic and political interests?
