IBDP Global Politics Encourages Thoughtful Engagement at ISG Jubail

High school students at ISG Jubail recently engaged in meaningful dialogue around real-world political issues through a student-led panel discussion in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) Global Politics course. Guided and supported by their teacher and IBDP Coordinator, Mr. Brad Dugan, students explored questions connected to international education in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, bringing academic learning into conversation with lived experience and community perspectives.

The International Baccalaureate places strong value on connecting learning to the world beyond the classroom. In Global Politics, students examine political concepts while engaging directly with contemporary issues and stakeholders. This panel formed part of the Political Engagement Activity, a core component of the course and its internal assessment. Students selected issues that felt personally relevant and locally meaningful, guiding their research and discussion with care and purpose.

Throughout the panel, students introduced a range of political topics that affect international schools and families. These included student voice in shaping mental health and wellbeing policy, the impact of the dependent visa system on expatriate women’s access to employment, child safeguarding within local legal frameworks, female access to STEM opportunities and the influence of policy on teacher recruitment and retention. Students posed thoughtful questions and explored multiple perspectives, focusing on how power, policy and decision making operate within complex institutional settings.

ISG Jubail was honored to welcome a group of respected community leaders whose participation enriched the conversation. Panelists included Superintendent of International Schools Group Ms. Rhonda Norris, Assistant Superintendent of International Schools Group Ms. Jana Barnhouse, Director of Human Resources and Government Compliance Ms. Balqees Al-Ghamdi, and School Board Member and former President of the ISG Jubail Parent Teacher Group Ms. Inge Krogue. Their insights helped students connect theory to practice and understand how educational policy is shaped and implemented.

This experience reflected the heart of learning at ISG Jubail, where students are encouraged to think deeply, ask meaningful questions and engage respectfully with the world around them.

Sincere thanks are extended to the panelists for their time and guidance and to the Global Politics students for their preparation, professionalism and thoughtful leadership. Through experiences like this, students continue to grow as informed and engaged members of their communities.