Robert Millar, Principal of Shrewsbury Bangkok, on helping students find their voice in a culture of family influence
“You are paying for the service of us as professionals to give you honest professional advice, and honest professional advice is to listen to your child.”
Robert Millar has spent 15 years at Shrewsbury International School Bangkok Riverside, working his way from assistant principal to heading up of one of Southeast Asia's flagship British international schools. A Cambridge grad with a master's from Oxford, Rob spent 13 years in the UK state secondary sector before making the move to Thailand with his family in 2010. He's had a front row seat to Bangkok's international school growth from a handful of institutions to a thriving network of over 107 British schools, and building a team along the way where some teachers are now in their 23rd year.
Chatting to Henry Faber, Rob shares what surprised him most about moving from the UK state sector to fee-paying international education, and how he navigates the delicate balance between serving parents and advocating for students. He explains the cultural nuances of working with multi-generational Thai families, where grandparents often have as much influence on a child's future as their parents, and why encouraging students to find their own voice sometimes means helping them have difficult conversations at home. Rob also reveals his ambitious plans for a bespoke Thai language curriculum running all the way to Year 13, and makes the case for why technology in the classroom often gets in the way of genuine learning. It's a brilliant, charismatic conversation – don't miss out.