The IB welcomes more schools to the IB community in Asia Pacific with recent authorizations bringing the total number of schools to 700, across 29 countries. These schools offer a total of 1,004 programmes: 366 Primary Years Programme (PYP), 159 Middle Years Programme (MYP), 474 Diploma Programme (DP), 5 Career-related Programme (CP).
In Greater China, the Keystone Academy in Beijing recently hit an IB milestone by receiving authorization of the 1,000th IB programme in the region. Greater China—including Hong Kong and Macau—has a total of 153 IB World Schools and 215 programmes
Siva Kumari, IB Director General, said: “I am delighted that we have just authorized the 1,000th programme in Asia Pacific, which demonstrates the reception to the IB’s programmes by so many different kinds of schools across the region. I congratulate all the schools who have recently been authorized for their achievement and their belief in the IB system and, in particular, the Keystone Academy in Beijing, which also happens to be our 1,000th. We wish each and every school success in their learning adventures.”
The IB’s verification visit found that Keystone Academy placed importance on language learning, including mother tongue, host country language and other languages. The school is committed to a bilingual environment and is keen for a significant number of students to work towards a bilingual diploma. The school is also a strong advocate of emphasizing local culture within the Diploma Programme, and parents were particularly impressed with this emphasis.
Malcolm McKenzie, Founding Head of School, Keystone Academy said: “Keystone Academy is delighted to be the 1,000th IB programme authorized in Asia Pacific and ready to teach the IB Diploma Programme. Many of us at Keystone know the DP very well, and we know it to be the best pre-university preparation anywhere. It is especially valuable in the Asian context as it adds a fresh approach to the strong traditions of learning in many of our countries. This combination is powerful and compelling. Our students and teachers will be grateful beneficiaries of the DP rigor and reflectiveness and it is especially auspicious for us to be the school that makes the one thousand mark. We look forward to being an active, contributing member of a global community of schools, students, teachers and parents whom we can learn from and to whom we have much to offer.”
The region has also seen significant recent developments in Malaysia. A journey of ten Malaysian government schools began in 2011 when Agensi Innovasi Malaysia, a statutory body, approached the IB seeking a curriculum that would allow government secondary school educators to effectively meet 21st-century learning priorities. The initiative is now reaching fruition with the first school receiving authorization to offer the MYP in March 2016.
“Both Agensi Innovasi Malaysia and the IB are committed to enabling greater access to the IB programmes across Malaysia. The additional of the 10 schools will bring the total of IB World Schools in Malaysia to 19, and we’re positive that there will be many more to follow” said Ashish Trivedi, the IB’s MYP School Services Manager.
Andrew Macdonald, Chief Schools Officer, adds: “I would like to extend my congratulations all schools achieving authorization this year and welcome them to the IB family. You are part of a growing community of educational institutions determined to make the world a better place through high-quality international education. In Greater China, Malaysia and the rest of the Asia Pacific region we continue to see steady growth in all IB programmes. It is a testament to the IB’s holistic vision of education that puts the student at the centre of everything we do. They join the community of IB World Schools preparing students with the skills they will need to succeed at university and life beyond. Skills such as complex problem solving, critical thinking and creativity so valued by leading global employers are at the heart of the IB programmes, teaching and learning.“
Take a look at all the schools that we have recently welcomed to the IB community worldwide.
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