The Ethnic Gap in Teacher Salaries in International Schools

Abstract

This chapter aims to outline the phenomenon known as split salaries in international schools. This qualitative phenomenological study explores the research question, What are the lived work experiences and perceptions of host country national (HCN) teachers employed in international schools utilizing a split-salary scale? Rawls' theory of justice as fairness served as the theoretical framework to answer the research question. Ten HCN teachers took part in one-on-one, semi-structured interviews. Three key themes emerged—power, othering, and the cost of compromise—as national teachers struggle to reconcile working in an environment that implicitly suggests they will never be good enough. This research can inform administrators and school owners that international schools should no longer be bastions of privilege and that using a purely business approach to staffing does not align with international school missions.