Dulwich divorce is final

[Nicke]

PHUKET: The divorce is final. Dr Arthit Ourairath, CEO and Founder of Dulwich International College, has announced that ties between Dulwich College in London (DCL) and Phuket’s top international school have been severed.

Dulwich International College will, from June 24, be known as the British International College of Thailand, unless agreement can be reached with another school willing to replace DCL’s role.

The end of the seven-year relationship, though not entirely unexpected after weeks of fractious talks, came suddenly – so suddenly that Ralph Mainard, DCL’s Director of External Relations and the school’s negotiator in the talks, told the Gazette this afternoon that DCL had heard nothing officially.

He declined to comment until he had had a chance to read the full text of announcement, which came early this evening, in an email to teachers and parents.

In the message, Dr Arthi t wrote:

“It is with profound regret that I have to inform you that Dulwich College London (DCL) and Dulwich International College, Phuket, (DIC) have decided, after much tireless effort, heartache and careful deliberation, to amicably go their separate ways. A joint-declaration of separation is expected to be issued within the next few days.

“Unfortunately, despite all well-meaning efforts, there remain major issues on which DCL and DIC cannot agree and [cannot] reach common ground.”

The agreement with DCL will expire on June 24. However, Dr Arthit wrote, “…we are now actively engaged in meaningful discussions on the strong potential for affiliation and academic cooperation with other prestigious schools in the UK.”

He noted that the relationship with DCL had become increasingly difficult over the years. “As time went on, ever-increasing differences in opinion and expectations became more evident and tensions mounted. At each stage, while efforts were made by each party to resolve these differences, it became clear that the number of unresolved issues would remain outstanding.

“Consequently, from the viewpoint of DIC Phuket, there was little alternative [but] to terminate the franchise agreement,” he wrote.

He added, “It is our firm belief that [the] decision was made for the ultimate [benefit] of students, because this is the only factor that will ensure the future success of the school. In the long term, and in the current competitive educational market, we know that providing our students and parents with the highest quality educational experience is the only thing that will ensure our viability.

“We are fully committed to that objective.”

Immediate effects that will follow the expiry of the agreement, Dr Arthit explained, will be as follows:

• The name of the school will be changed from Dulwich International College to British International College of Thailand (BICT).

• The college logo will change.

• BICT will assume all legal obligations, including those from existing employment contracts with teachers, from DIC after June 24.

However, the email stresses that:

• The college’s curriculum will continue to be based on the British National Curriculum.

• All programs such as the Foundation Stage Curriculum for KG classes, the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and International Baccalaureate (IB) for secondary students will continue to be offered.

• The recruitment of highly qualified and suitable academic personnel remains unaffected, and, says the email, “the process will be strengthened”. While DCL was always deeply involved in the selection of the school’s headmaster, selection will now be “the exclusive right of the BICT Board.”

“We are confident,” the Found er wrote, “that we will be able to appoint highly qualified, experienced and suitable persons to assume senior academic and non-academic management positions.”

• BICT will continue to offer internationally recognized examinations on its premises, such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), and Cambridge ESOL exams.

• BICT will maintain its various accreditations with the Office of National Education Standards and Quality Assessment, and the Worldwide Education Service. The process to gain accreditation with the Council of International Schools will continue.

Dr Arthit wrote that under the “visionary” leadership of Dr George Hickma, the recently appointed Academic Director at DIC, the school “will grow and flourish”.

He also pledged improvements to school facilities, pointing out that a qualified nutritionist has been hired for the refectory, along with three nurses, and noting that a new Primary Infirmary will open very soon. He also vowed that boarding houses will be refurbished and sports facilities upgraded where necessary.

He concluded, “I can only respectfully ask you to give us a chance to prove that we will continue to maintain the academic standards and overall educational experience that you children will have if you continue to do the honor of entrusting them to our care.”

In a meeting with teachers that coincided with the delivery of the email, Dr Hickman reiterated that discussions are already underway in an attempt to secure affiliation with another internationally recognized school.

The previous day, he announced in an email that all teachers, including those hired locally, would get contracts “within the next 48-72 hours”, and that all teachers would get pay rises.

He also announced that a decision to demote Tim Creber from Deputy Head of Secondary to plain teacher had been reversed. Mr Creber, the email said, “has grac iously consented to continue in his role of Deputy Academic Director/Deputy Headmaster, and has resumed his regular duties.”

The breakdown of the links between the Phuket school and Dulwich College in London is by no means the first in Thailand. A private education insider in Bangkok, who asked not to be named, said that he knew of at least half a dozen cases of similar links between foreign schools and Thai investors breaking down.

Brought to you by:
The Phuket Gazette
19:26 local time (GMT +7)

[Expat]

DULWICH COLLEGE ENTERPRISES LTD
Graham Able MA MA FRSA
Chairman

13th May 2005

A statement with regard to Dulwich International College, Phuket

Dulwich College Enterprises Limited announces, with great regret, that no further franchise agreement has been agreed with the owners of Dulwich International College, Phuket. The current franchise agreement will end on June 24th, 2005 as requested by the owners of Dulwich International College, Phuket. After that date, therefore, the school will cease to have any association with Dulwich College, London.

A franchise agreement with Dulwich College Enterprises Limited requires that any school which bears the name of Dulwich will be run in a way which reflects the traditions (including those of governance and management) of Dulwich College London and ensures that everyone can be confident about all aspects of the school. Dulwich College London (on behalf of Dulwich College Enterprises Limited) regularly inspects franchise schools to ensure that the required standards are being met in all areas and will advise when this is not the case.

Over the last six weeks there have been long and detailed discussions between Dulwich College Enterprises Limited and the owners of Dulwich International College, Phuket. The owners, as is their right, have decided that they wish to manage the school without the checks and balances from Dulwich College Enterprises Limited that are an essential part of any partnership which Dulwich College Enterprises Limited could sustain.

Dulwich College Enterprises Limited has every confidence in the staff and the pupils at the school in Phuket and wishes them every success for the future.

Dulwich College Enterprises Limited can be contacted by email at der@dulwich.org.uk

[Expat]

UK’s Dulwich College and Thai affiliate to end link
By Amy Kazmin in Bangkok
Published: May 17 2005 19:40

Dulwich College, one of the UK's best-known private schools, and its Thai franchisee, Dulwich International College, Phuket, have severed their eight-year-old ties after weeks of fractious talks failed to bridge differences over the Thai school's management.

Graham Able, the master of Dulwich College London, said this week that six weeks of “long and detailed discussions” had failed to reach agreement on the British institution's oversight of its Thai franchisee.

“The owners of Dulwich International College, Phuket, . . . as is their right, have decided that they wish to manage the school without the checks and balances from Dulwich College Enterprises, which are an essential part of any partnership that Dulwich College Enterprises could sustain,” his statement said.

Arthit Ourairat, founder and chief executive of the Phuket school, told parents and teachers in an e-mail that the campus will be known from June 24 as the British International College of Thailand, although he hopes to affiliate with another private British school.

The loss of the Dulwich brand for the school in Phuket is being seen as a setback for the tropical island's luxury property market, which had been boosted by the presence of an educational institution carrying the prestigious British name.

The split ends a relationship that soured earlier this year when the British school which had previously found little to fault at the Phuket campus stepped up scrutiny of its franchisee as part of its widening international expansion, including a foray into China.

Members of the Phuket school's community say the breakdown of the relationship Dulwich's first international franchise stemmed from a clash of both cultures and personalities in confronting problems as they surfaced. It also highlights the risks when schools sign relatively broad franchise agreements that fail to anticipate all possible contingencies, especially in a foreign business environment.

As they move to create a presence in foreign markets, British private schools seem torn between loose franchise arrangements, in which they may have relatively little leverage over local partners, or full management control of foreign campuses.

Other British schools' Thai franchisees have also suffered tensions.

Shrewsbury, Harrow and Bromsgrove schools also have operations running inThailand.

[Captain]

A friend living in Phuket said that after the tsunami chasing the tourists away they now will send the expats away with stopping Dulwich. He spoke of several parents moving even to other countries to find a good school for their children.
He even contacted Dulwich in Spain to look for a possible solution.
He has now moved to Bangkok and his children are inscribed in a local international school. I do not know if he will keep his house in Surin. Some businesses will lose a good client.
I wonder how many children are leaving Dulwich like that...and their parents leaving Phuket. Why could't it be avoided.

[Expat]

Dulwich is no longer DIC it is now British International College Thailand( BICT).
They are giving no information away so to get an idea as to the current morale log onto
http://dulwich.blogspot.com/

[LivinLOS]

Even worse are the nearly finished high end homes built to be 'within 5 mins of dulwich' that development was living purely on the name..

[TV Channel 11]

Andaman News on TV11 Phuket (local VHF not cable) & Radio Thailand FM90.5 has a 10 minute interview with the Academic Director, Dr George Hickman, on Thursday 30 June at 8.30am. A mini video of interview may be available later at http://www.thaisnews.com/show_eachnews.php?catnewsid=16

These were most of the questions asked:
1) To help our viewers/listeners understand better, can we establish some facts first?
2) can you take us back a bit to when you were appointed by your CEO Dr Arthit, and what your immediate aims and responsibilities were?
3) At that time negotiations were still going on with Dulwich in London, so can you tell us some of the background and problems during those negotiations?
4) Is it true to say you (Phuket) and they (London) would have preferred to continue together, or did it seem inevitable that there would be a separation?
5) Can you reveal some of the disagreements, (eg the inspection by London)?
6) What were the problems with plans to expand on Ko Samui? Did the tsunami affect financial expectations?
7) How was Prize Day on the last day for Dulwich?
8) Have there been negotiations with other British schools for a new franchise?
9)In the meantime or now, what are the immediate changes, apart from name, logo, uniform, website, (www.bris-phuket.org) etc..
10) IF there is no new franchise, does it mean for example more management staff here, and less fees?
11)Are you planning more longer term changes, eg sport facilities and to refectory/restaurants?
12)Are the teachers staying getting pay rises, and better contracts/benefits?
13) From the point of view of parents, have there been and will there be better clearer communications about any changes made?




There was also a Young Reporter about their final prize day, with a minivideo at http://www.thaisnews.com/news_detail.php?newsid=134034

[TV Channel 11]

The Mini-video of edited interview is available at http://www.thaisnews.com/news_detail.php?newsid=134425