Similarly, Mia noted, “I think it's not adequate because I don’t recall if there were any cultural events at school or any lessons about different cultures. I remember only one presentation the kids did about their country. It would be nice if the schoolteachers taught more different cultural content.” These responses suggest that parents found culture teaching at the school to be either absent or minimal, and mainly limited to student-led presentations.

Rather than school-based culture teaching, parents believed that their children learned about different cultures informally from their classmates. Debbie explained, “I don’t think they really teach different cultures. I believe my children learn more from their friends. They learn about how they communicate and talk because they visit each other’s houses. They see how their friends live, what they do, and what they eat. I haven’t heard that the school is putting too much effort into teaching different cultures. So, I think my children are learning more from friends.”

Another concern expressed by parents was that the curriculum, being British in origin, focused primarily on the UK and the USA, and that teachers were not necessarily culturally sensitive. Anna reflected, “I don’t think it’s only specific to this school, because British schools and the British curriculum follow Anglo-Saxon education. They do not consider the cultural differences of the children. If the teacher had enough exposure to different countries, they’d understand different aspects of cultures. However, it will not be part of the CV, job description, or requirements. They tend to recruit teachers from the UK or America, so they will push for something which is a part of their vision of life. So, I don’t think cultural sensitivity is a vital element in this case.”

Anna further linked the lack of cultural sensitivity to instances of subtle discrimination her children had faced at school. “Most likely, they would not let kids be openly discriminated, but there will always be hidden discrimination, which you can feel on your skin, but you cannot prove that it is there. There were several instances when the teacher let conflict go. I’m sure the approach would have probably been a bit different if my children’s names were Michael and Elizabeth. So, I think there is no cultural sensitivity whatsoever. And I don’t think it is particular for the school we go to at the moment (but it is general).”

Although the issue raised by Anna might not necessarily stem from deliberate bias, it reflects her perception of cultural insensitivity within the school environment. It is possible that young or inexperienced teachers prioritise subject content and classroom management, making it difficult for them to address intercultural incidents. However, such conflicts should not be overlooked, and it is essential that teachers receive training on managing intercultural situations.

An “intercultural speaker” is described in the literature as someone who can mediate misunderstandings or tensions between people of different cultural backgrounds (Barrett et al., 2014; Byram, 1997; Lázár et al., 2007). While this is often presented as a student goal, the same skill is necessary for teachers, who are expected to manage classroom diversity and resolve tensions constructively.

In addition to their views on how culture was taught, the parents were also asked whether there were aspects of culture—especially controversial topics—they would not want their children to learn about. Topics mentioned included poverty, the power of social groups, inequality, feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, and marginalisation. All parents expressed a willingness for their children to learn about such issues, and some lamented their absence from the curriculum. However, they emphasised that these topics should be introduced with sensitivity and appropriate timing, depending on the children’s maturity and language proficiency. Debbie commented, “They don’t have these subjects; that’s a very sad point. They don’t have religion or politics, nothing like that. I think it would be nice (to learn those topics) starting from the age of ten and up because when they are younger, I don’t think they would understand politics. But when they are getting older, 10 plus or 11 plus, they would understand the basic things, and after that, they can build up in higher classes.”

Emma also supported teaching such topics, but stressed that teachers must remain neutral: “I have no problem discussing any of these topics. I think it’s important for kids to talk about these issues, debate, express their opinions, and listen to other kids’ opinions. My problem would be, hypothetically, if some teachers would be pushing one of these issues too much or advocating or trying to put their own opinions on kids and my son, I think that would be too much. But talking about these issues is important; I think discussion (should be) at the civilized level.”

Shannon focused on the skills required of teachers in order to teach controversial topics effectively: “All the (mentioned) subjects are good and necessary, but how they are taught is more important than the topics. Therefore, teachers need a lot of training for that. Yes, teachers should be trained before teaching kids. You cannot bring anybody to teach kids even if they have enough knowledge. Maybe they cannot transfer their knowledge to the kids, younger kids.”

Some parents stated that their children were not learning about the mentioned topics at school at all, and were instead learning about them from their families or peers. Mia shared, “Well, there’s nothing I’m not happy with in terms of what my child is learning about, especially culture, those things mentioned. I work for an international organization, so I also respect it. I would say my child knows about these things. To grow as a global citizen, he needs to know, so I told him, so my son would understand, so he would not be doing any discrimination.”

Anna expressed uncertainty about whether these topics were covered in class, stating, “I think they’re aware of those subjects compared to if they were in our country. I don’t know whether they talk about it in a classroom; they probably learn more from friends; at least I didn’t come across a fit in the papers or the documents. There was only one case about a teacher from a religious school a few years ago. He brought the issues up from the Bible about how one brother killed another. We were not happy because they were too young. For example, at this age (12/13 years old now), they would not care too much because they already have established minds.”

Finally, Diana expressed strong support for her child being exposed to diverse perspectives: “No, because I think that it is good that he has the possibility to learn about different religions and LGBTQ communities. Learning about LGBTQ+ communities doesn’t mean he will become part of that. I'm an atheist; I read all the holy books of different religions. So, providing children with different information about other religions, people who are straight or LGBTQ is good, because it helps them know more about the environment and people around them.”

While the parents’ perspectives reflected critical concerns regarding the limitations of culture teaching at the observed school, their responses also revealed a broader mismatch between school practice and parental expectations. Most notably, parents expressed a readiness for their children to engage with controversial cultural issues—poverty, marginalisation, feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, and religious diversity—so long as such discussions were approached objectively and age-appropriately. This directly contradicts the teachers’ reported hesitation, which appeared to stem from a fear of parental resistance. What emerges is a clear communication gap between home and school, where assumptions on both sides restrict the full integration of CDA and ICC development. Moreover, parents highlighted the absence of cultural sensitivity among certain teachers, noting unaddressed intercultural incidents and implicit forms of discrimination. While these views may be subjective, they nevertheless point to a critical need for professional development in intercultural mediation. The parents’ willingness to see their children grow into globally competent individuals stands in contrast with the school’s limited cultural scope, which remains largely Anglo-centric. If international schools are to foster truly inclusive environments, they must move beyond tokenistic representations of culture and engage more deeply with diverse identities, while ensuring that teachers themselves embody the ICC competencies they are expected to cultivate in their students.