Afr.com looks at Australian secondary schools that use the IB in conjunction with their state exams and qualifications, making the IB an added element of their school instead of replacing their existing education system.
St Andrews Cathedral School in Sydney is one of these schools, offering the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme (DP) while also running the Higher School Certificate (HSC) syllabus. This co-ed school, known for its academic achievements, emphasizes a broad education which includes co-curricular activities, compulsory sport and excellence in studies. “The IB Diploma is offered as a choice, with separate classes. We teach the curriculum and do the HSC. The IB adds another dimension,” states Dr John Collier, head of school. The article explains that the DP acts as a framework, inside which runs the HSC.
Beth Blackwood, chief executive of the Australian Heads of Independent Schools Association, states that the IB is holistic education and that its success lies in the fact that teachers are introduced to a global network that adds to their expertise.
“Parents choose it because it’s international, it makes for a well-rounded student and it supports the other studies,” she says. Read the full article on afr.com.
