OUR HISTORY
The Federation started as a group of international schools teaching a British-style curriculum outside the UK in 1988 with Ronald Stones OBE, the Principal of the British International School Jakarta (now British School Jakarta), as the founder.
Their first meeting was held in 1988 at the Permatau Hijau campus, supported by the British Ambassador to Indonesia and attended by Ms Abidin from the Kota Kinabalu School (now Kinabalu International School), Mrs Goodban from Singapore’s Tanglin Trust School, Mrs Clout from the British School Manila, Mr Thomas from Bangkok Patana School, and Mr Eales from The Alice Smith School in Kuala Lumpur.
FOBISSEA Heads’ Business Meeting at Tanglin Trust School, Singapore, 1992
This initial meeting was deemed a success and it was agreed to make it an annual event, hosted by different schools each time. This allowed the school Heads to gain insights from others in the region, even though each school had its unique approach held together by the common thread of a British-style curriculum.
By the early 1990s, the group had grown to 20 Member Schools. In 1992, they adopted their first Constitution, elected a Chair, and held their first Heads’ Business Meeting and Leadership Conference.
By May 2002, the Federation of British International Schools in South and East Asia (FOBISSEA), with 19 Founding Members, was registered with the Registrar of Societies in Singapore. FOBISSEA had organised sports events (now The FOBISIA Friendly Games), music festivals, and professional development opportunities.
In 2004, the first Secretariat was opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In 2011, a CPD Coordinator was appointed in Bangkok, enabling the first Job Alike Workshops (JAWS) and the first CPD Handbook.
By 2009, FOBISSEA expanded their membership into China, leading to the name change “The Federation of British International Schools in Asia” (FOBISIA) in 2013.
In 2011, FOBISIA had 32 Member Schools across 10 countries. Today, it is a family of 94 Member Schools in 19 countries and regions, with seven HQ staff members based in Thailand providing support for Member Schools and Affiliate Members.
In 2018, FOBISIA launched an online Community Forum for Member Schools. In 2019, they welcomed their first CEO, John Gwyn Jones MBE, who was also FOBISSEA’s inaugural Chair in the early '90s.
FOBISIA CONNECT, an online platform allowing networks in schools to connect online was established in 2022 and has over 900 members. In June of 2024, FOBISIA reached the milestone of 100 Member Schools.
FOBISIA Board Members 2025
With over 30 years of history, FOBISIA is a diverse and inclusive community of British international schools across Asia, supporting educational organisations worldwide.