‘Disconnected and disjointed’: A critical investigation into levels of civic engagement among IBDP international schooling alumni in Northern Europe

The continued growth of private English-medium international schools underscores the need to understand how this advantaged community interprets the rights and obligations inherent in global citizenship. Semi-structured interviews with 15 alumni aged 25-30 that graduated with an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) award from a traditional international school in Northern Europe reveals a ‘cosmopolitan’ approach to global citizenship (GC) where liberal ideals are seen as complimentary to neoliberal aims. While alumni are concerned with global issues, they are almost completely disconnected from local/national affairs. This creates a disjointed position where alumni feel too busy and frustrated about their limited ability to engage more meaningfully. The findings suggest that in the practical application of GC in elite international schools, benefits are prioritised over obligations, and the development of a ‘liberal-critical’ approach to GC is compromised. This implies that the tension of reconciling ideological GC goals with instrumental ones may become more one-sided for future IBDP alumni and inhibit the IB mission to nurture internationally minded people who both advocate and act for social, political, and environmental causes. This casts doubts on the likelihood of global elites leading social justice efforts.