Learning the Ropes of Education Diplomatic Personnel Seeks Schools for Themselves, Children in Area by Tim Deady When a diplomat gets a posting in Washington, there are many questions: Where to live? Is Washington an expensive city? Is it safe? What about a car? What to do about health care? No doubt one of the most important questions is education. First is where to educate the children, but then there is the matter of continuing education for diplomats. Because of its place as an international capital, envoys in Washington have access to major universities that offer degrees or certificate programs in foreign diplomacy. American University, George Washington University, Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University all have campuses in Washington that offer programs in foreign diplomacy. To varying degrees, the schools market their programs directly to the embassies and their staffs. They all sponsor seminars, convocations and speeches that in some measure are designed to attract the attention of embassies and o ther members of Washingtonís international community. ìWe market to internationals very strongly,î said Todd Sedmak, an American University spokesman. ìWe tout our location and our relations with embassies. We have events at embassies, and we have several [ambassador] residences right near campus.î For most diplomats, educational possibilities may not be a major priority when they come here. By the time most diplomats arrive in Washington, which for many is considered the culmination of a diplomatic career, they have long ago finished their schooling, including graduate and post-graduate work. Another reason higher education for working embassy personnel may not be a high-demand priority is timeóthey donít have much to spare because their careers require long work hours. Still, for some diplomats, continuing education is a priority, and for those officials Washington offers a high-quality choice of career-enhancing educational opportunities. Paul Binkley, associate director of admissions at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, said the school offers special degree- or certificate-granting programs for diplomats. Course work could include classes on international politics, environmental issues, managing in a developing country, arms control, security and terrorism, and the new global economy. ìWe do get some working diplomats, and they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our classes. There is nothing like having someone who has actually worked in the field for many years,î said Binkley. He said classes at the school are specifically designed to encourage interaction among students, as well as between students and the teacher. ìWhen thereís a working diplomat in the class it has a very positive impact because they can bring so much to the class,î he said. Binkley said he did not have any figures on the number of foreign diplomats who are enrolled at the school. He also said he did not have information on financial arrangements for the classes but noted in some cases student diplomats are reimbursed for the cost. Enrolling in either a degree or certificate program requires a firm commitment of time and money. Some of the graduate and certificate programs that might attract diplomats have annual tuitions of at least $20,000, such as Georgetownís Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service and the Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins. Some degree or certificate programs are only open to full-time students or require a minimum load of three classes a semester. In those cases, diplomats in all likelihood would have to take a leave of absence from their posts, said school officials. ìOne of the most popular programs we have for working diplomats is our Key Global Issues program, a certificate program operated out of our Institute of Diplomacy,î said Sheila DeTurk, director of admissions at Georgetownís school of foreign service. ìWe usually get a good representation of diplomats from embassies like Japan and Korea and Central America, but usually they have to take a leave of absence from their job to complete the program,î which usually takes a year. American University has a masterís degree program in international service that is designed for people with at least seven years experience working in international relations. There are currently 16 people enrolled in the program, and six of them are from embassies, said Todd Waddell, program manager for the graduate school. The current tuition for the AU masterís in international service is $758 per credit, and it takes 30 credits to get the degree for a cost of $22,740. Felisa Neuringer, a spokeswoman for the Nitze School at the Washington campus of Johns Hopkins, said working diplomats have participated in the schoolís graduate program in international public policy, which grants masterís and doctorate degrees. In addition, diplomats have attended a summer certificate program in international policy. The question of where diplomats should send their children to school presents its own set of issues. Should they be sent to a private school or public school? For Washington diplomats with children, education plays a major part in their decision on where to live. Where are the best schools for my children? Suburbs or the city? ìIt seems like that people with children move to the suburbs and single people move to the city,î said Isweni Bakri, an official in the education and cultural attachÈís office of the Indonesia Embassy. ìThere are probably many reasons for that, but Iím sure education is one of the most important.î For the most part, diplomats who opt for public schools will live in the suburbs and those who choose private schools will likely live in the city. A very important consideration is the cost of a private school, which can range from $4,000 to $15,000 a year. That cost excludes books, clothes and other supplies, which could push annual fees up to and beyond the $20,000 mark. Some embassies offer their Washington envoys subsidies for education. But most embassies either donít give education subsidies or limit them to the highest-ranking diplomats, like ambassadors and consuls. That leaves the majority of diplomats to foot the bill for education, which means they are likely to seek out free, public schools. One of those people is Nana Sunara, the press attachÈ at the Indonesian Embassy, who arrived in Washington with his wife and children two years ago. The first question he had was where to live. The second question was where to send his two children to school. The Sunaras considered private school but decided they couldnít afford it, so they opted for public school for the children, who attend Cornell Brooks Middle School and John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring. ìI realized they had to go to public school,î said Sunara. ìI spoke with someone here who said I should live in Silver Spring, which we did,î said Sunara. Sunara said one of the primary reasons he decided on Silver Spring is the two schools offer English-as-a-second language courses for students whose primary language is not English. ìI think the public education system here is very good, and I think they are getting a good education,î he said. In addition to public schools in Silver Spring, there are a handful of other suburban schools in the area that attract diplomats. Two of those schools are Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda and McLean High School in McLean, Va. Officials at th ose two schools said that for years diplomats have enrolled their children in the schools because of the broad-based, college-prep curriculum, as well as the availability of high-quality music and arts courses. For diplomats who would rather send their children to private schools, and for those who can afford them, there are many choices. According to published listings, there are more than 180 private elementary and secondary schools in the Washington region. The Maryland suburbs has about 120 schools, Northern Virginia has 110 and the District has 50. Most of the big-name, prestigious and most expensive private schools are in Washington. There are a handful of private schools in the area that offer education based on the system of another country. These type of schools include the British, French, German, Saudi and Islamic schools. All those schools offer courses, certificates or degrees that are easily transferred back to the homeland and count toward admission to a university back home. In addition, classes at those schools are taught in the native language, such as French or German. In addition to children of diplomats, the schools that are based on a foreign education system attract families from Washingtonís large international community made up of officials from organizations such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. In Washington, there are a few private schools that attract children of diplomats, including Rock Creek International, Washington International, Sidwell Friends, Potomac School and Georgetown Prep. Some of the private schools, like the foreign-system based schools, offer what is known as the international baccalaureate. The IB, as it is commonly called, is a big selling point for private schools because most colleges and universities around the world recognize it as a prerequisite for admission. Carole Al-Kahouaji, director of educational programs at Rock Creek, said like everyone else, diplomats pick schools for their children for many different reasons. However, diplomats know they may move several times in their childrenís school career, so consistency of curriculum and standards is a priority, said Al-Kahouaji. ìIt is very important for [diplomats] to know there is continuity in their childrenís education, and thatís why the IB is so important,î she said. About 25 percent of Rock Creekís 160 students, who attend preschool through fifth grade at the school, are children of diplomats. Several ambassadors have sent their children to the school, which has an annual tuition of $14,500, said Al-Kahouaji. For the most part, Washingtonís embassy personnel are on their own when it comes to their childrenís education. Two exceptions, however, are the Russian and Chinese embassies. The Russian Embassy, a gated compound of buildings on Wisconsin Avenue NW, operates its own school to educate staff membersí children. Vladimir Frolov, a spokesman for the embassy, said the government decided to operate its own school because the ìRussian education system is different than it is here.î When asked to compare schools in the United States with those in Russia, he said, ìThe Russian system has higher standards. It is far superior in standards and requirements than any school here,î said Frolov. About 100 children of Russian diplomats attend the school, which covers education through high school. Diplomats at the Chinese Embassy leave their children behind in China to be educated when they get a Washington posting, said Chen Ligang, consul at the embassy. He did not directly say whether the government orders parents to leave their school-age children in China. ìThis is something weíre working on. This will be changed,î he said. The embassy is studying whether to open its own school for embassy personnel or to start to encourage diplomats to bring their children to Washington, he said. He said children are educated in China primarily because of the language difference and because of the different educational standards between the United States and China. Ligang said he would like to have his 18-year-old son with him in Washington, but it is important that he complete his education in China. ìHeís preparing for the tests for university so he should be in China,î said Ligang. The consul said he thought the quality of the Chinese and U.S. educational systems in the primary and secondary schools level are about equal. But he said the United States has a better, higher-quality college-level system. ìMany, many Chinese want to come to the U.S. to attend university,î he said. Obviously, language is a major consideration for any diplomat or diplomat-family member. Most diplomats and their families have some exposure to English before they arrive in Washington. For school-age children, whether they can speak and understand English will help determine where they go to school. Older children and adults are more likely to have a working knowledge of English. For those who canít speak or understand English or for those who just want to sharpen their skills, there are many language schools in and outside Washington. One of those schools is the International Center for Language Studies on 15th Street NW in downtown Washington. The school was opened in 1966 and has one-on-one classes that start at $35 an hour and group classes at different levels that range in cost up to $625. ìWeíve taught English in over 80 languages, and many of our students have been diplomats or members of their families,î said Karen Decker, the president and owner of the school. ìGenerally, Iíve noticed they have difficulties in comprehension. We try to work on their listening skills and build up their confidence.î She noted that learning English is a high priority for diplomats and so they make good students. ìThey know that to do their jobs they have to know English. They go to meetings where everybody speaks English. They have to read papers in English. Itís very important to them,î she said. Tim Deady is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.