International Baccalaureate (IB)
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We are pleased to announce that Victoria International School of Sharjah has been successful in achieving candidate* status for the prestigious International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) at Years 12 and 13. IB schools are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Victoria International School of Sharjah believes is important for our students. As a Candidate school we are preparing our school for authorisation which we anticipate will occur in the middle of the 2011/12 academic year enabling students to undertake the program in September 2012. The IB Diploma Program (IBDP) is designed as an academically challenging and balanced program of education with final examinations that prepares students, normally aged 16 to 19, for success at university and life beyond. The program is normally taught over two years and has gained recognition and respect from the world's leading universities.
IBDP students study six courses at higher level or standard level, thus ensuring a breadth of experience in languages, social studies, the experimental sciences and mathematics. In addition the program has three core requirements that are included to broaden the educational experience and challenge students to apply their knowledge and understanding.
The extended essay is a requirement for students to engage in independent research through an in-depth study of a question relating to one of the subjects they are studying.
Theory of knowledge is a course designed to encourage each student to reflect on the nature of knowledge by critically examining different ways of knowing (perception, emotion, language and reason) and different kinds of knowledge (scientific, artistic, mathematical and historical).
Creativity, action, service requires that students actively learn from the experience of doing real tasks beyond the classroom. Students can combine all three components or do activities related to each one of them separately
Students take written examinations at the end of the program, which are marked by external IB examiners. Students also complete assessment tasks in the school, which are either initially marked by teachers and then moderated by external moderators or sent directly to external examiners.
The IBDP complements perfectly the current curriculum at VISS.
For further information about the IB and its programs, visit http://www.ibo.org
*Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its three academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), or the Diploma Programme (and in addition the IB Career-related Certificate). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted.