An international school is an institution that promotes education in an international environment or framework. Although there is no uniform definition or criteria, international schools are usually characterized by a multinational student body and staff, multilingual instruction, curricula oriented towards global perspectives and subjects, and the promotion of concepts such as world citizenship, pluralism, and intercultural understanding. Many international schools adopt a curriculum from programs and organizations such as International Baccalaureate, Edexcel, Cambridge Assessment International Education, International Primary Curriculum, or Advanced Placement. International schools often follow a curriculum different from the host country, catering mainly to foreign students, such as members of expatriate communities, international businesses or organizations, diplomatic missions, or missionary programs. Admission is sometimes open to local students to provide qualifications for employment or higher education in a foreign country, offer high level language instruction, and/or foster cultural and global awareness. History The first international school can be traced back to the International School of Geneva founded in 1924 by Arthur Sweetser and Ludwik Rajchman with an emphasis on bilingual education (English and French). Later that year the Yokohama International School was also established in Yamate, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Japan. These schools catered to children of expatriate families. These could include American diplomats, missionaries, military members, business workers transferred to foreign office locations, etc. An example would be children of American military personnel attending Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS). Criteria At a conference in Italy in 2009, the International Association of School Librarianship came up with a list of criteria for describing an international school, including: Transferability of the student's education across international schools A moving population (higher than in state schools or public schools) Multinational and multilingual student body An international curriculum International accreditation (e.g. Council of International Schools, International Baccalaureate, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, etc.) A transient and multinational teacher population Non-selective student enrollment Usually English language of instruction, plus the obligation to take on at least one additional language However, there are also disagreements amongst educators on what the exact criteria should focus on. Factors such as international history, culture, and perspective within the education curriculum would also make a school "international". Although the nationality of students plays a big part, the manner in which the education is delivered is just as important. Languages of instruction While English-language international schools are the most numerous, many international schools teaching primarily in other languages exist.