CLIP - Colegio Luso Internacional Do Porto - An Educational Project

In an interview with Time magazine, Peter Drucker,British educational system as the model. The
one of America's foremost management theorists,educational program of this school would permit full
when asked "What kind of a century are we in,equivalency throughout all forms with the Portuguese
then?" responded: "In this 21st century world ofeducational system and other international schools
dynamic political change, the significant thing is thatand universities. CLIP - Cologio Luso-Internacional do
we are in a post-business society. Business is stillPorto is designed to achieve the following goals:
very important, and greed is as universal as ever; but1 - To offer a student - centered, thoroughly
the values of people are no longer business values,modern, academically challenging, and internationally
they are professional values. Most people are nofocused program of studies;
longer part of the business society; they are part of2 - To offer Portuguese students the opportunity to
the knowledge society.acquire an international education that will prepare
The greatest changes in our society are going to bethem for attendance of both local and foreign
in education." When the journalist later suggesteduniversities;
whether the world of the 21st century would be3 - To provide foreign students with the opportunity
characterized by the competition among the threeto continue their education in a sequential,
great trading blocks --Europe, North America, andcomfortable fashion;
Asia --Drucker answered: "Yes, and the activities of4 - To offer students of Portuguese parents, who
three big trading blocks will have politicalhave attended schools in other countries, a proper
consequences. I think we are already in the midst ofprocess of school reintegration;
this, and the pattern is not going to be fair trade orThese objectives could be implemented by the
protectionism but reciprocity." When asked: "Do youfollowing instruments: - A curriculum based on current
think we and our institutions are ready to cope withBritish secondary programs, allowing pupils to s it for
what you call "new realities"? Drucker affirmed: "ManyG.C.E. (General Certificate of Education), G.C.S.E.
are still stuck in the world of 1960. What we face(General Certificate of Secondary Education), I. G .C.S.
now is totally new and dynamic -and we are quiteE. (International General Certificate of Secondary
unprepared for it."Education) at O - Level, but complemented with
These statements from a man calloused in the worldstudies of Portuguese language, history and social
of business reveal a reality of the presentstudies, granting equivalence to the Portuguese
characterized by dynamic change on all fronts, by thesecondary education forms 9 and 10; - A higher
power conferred by the possession of informationeducation access curriculum based on and in
and knowledge, by the primacy of education in thataccordance with the LB. (International Baccalaureate,
context of profound alterations, by relationshipsGeneve, Switzerland) curriculum, which is currently
among persons, institutions, and peoples based onaccepted by most universities across the world, and
the concept of reciprocity. with determination Europeis also equivalent to form 12 of the Portuguese
searches for the attenuation of centuries oldsecondary educational system.
divisions; the nations of the Pacific, led by Japan, tryCLIP will furthermore develop its activities around
to find a common understanding which may grantseven basic educational principles:
them a more condign place in the international forum;* Academic Excellence: The attainment or the highest
the Sultanates of Islam search desperately for aacademic standards through a stringent and fully
more cohesive and forceful expression of theirintegrated curriculum that stresses individual
influence in today's world.excellence and group achievement;
The progress attained in the technology of* Learning how to learn; the content or the various
communications has made the international system ofdisciplines is developing at such a rate that makes an
borders almost irrelevant. The quest for newencyclopedic approach to education quite unviable. By
markets has given birth to supra-national economicfocalizing on how to learn, our aim is to prepare
colossuses, capable of exerting a deep influence instudents for a lifetime of learning and personal
the lives of peoples and nations. The rending of thedevelopment;
iron curtain seems to have stolen the last visible and* Cooperative Learning: The instructional program of
palpable barrier from a world forced to accept moreCLIP is based on the premise that students can and
and more, with less and less understanding. Thisshould learn from each other, and that they must
vertigo of political and technological change hasshoulder the greatest responsibility for their
fostered a constant movement not only of people,education;
but mostly of ideas and of information.* Diversity and Cross-Cultural Education: The
Knowledge of things and events has been madeunderlying concept of International Education is a
instantaneous, the volume of information has beenlearning process that positions the study of the
suffocating, our capacity for absorption tested to itsdiverse expressions of human life at the core of its
limits. Peoples and cultures, which some years agoprogram of studies;
could have been known only through the power of* Individual Needs and Concerns: The program
the imagination, visit us daily in our living rooms, sofocuses on the needs and differences of each
that, what was foreign, exotic, adventurous, hasindividual student. The central programmatic focus in
become common place. The need for a new privatethis regard is a Teacher Advisor Program coordinated
international school in the Oporto area is self evident.by a Guidance Counselor;
At the end of the twentieth century we are* Participatory Decision-making: The governance of
witnesses to an accelerating trend towards culturalCLIP is based on a democratic model for decision
globalization and a growing need for unhinderedmaking as articulated in its Charter. CLIP recognizes
mobility for professionals and their families. Inthe preeminent role of parents teacher and students
particular, the internationalization of northern Portugalin the educational process;
due to the country's present EU membership status* The Arts: The arts are essential to a complete
has created new educational needs for both localunderstanding of our nature as human beings and as
foreign children.members of cultural groups. In this regard the arts
This need could be adequately answered by a highmust be taught as independent cl discipline and
quality school, from the primary through universityintegrated on the entire program of studies.
entry level, with English as the base language and the