IB Curriculum System and International Schools in Singapore

When it comes to Singapore’s diverse education curriculum system, we can’t help but think of the “IB curriculum system” in international schools. I believe that international students and parents in Singapore must be familiar with it. It is not only the top three mainstream education in Singapore, one of the curriculum systems (IB, AP, ALEVEL), at the same time, the IB curriculum system is also the most extensive and the most promising learning option in the world.

As we all know, international schools in Singapore offer a diverse curriculum system, of which the IB curriculum system accounts for the vast majority, but there is also many American courses, Australian courses, etc. Some schools also offer multiple courses at the same time for students to choose from. But it has to be said that the IB system is currently the most common, the most extensive, and one of the most recognized curriculum systems in the world.

So for the “IB curriculum system”, what is its specific meaning and its advantages? Let’s learn something about it today!

The origin of IB

IB stands for International Baccalaureate (IB), which is managed by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). It was originally designed for the children of senior managers (such as diplomats) from all over the world, so that they can transfer from one country to another with their parents and be recognized by universities around the world. Since the university preparatory course started in 1968, it has continuously supplemented and improved its own system, and has continuously developed continuous curriculum projects for children at various learning stages, such as: the middle school curriculum started in 1994; the primary school curriculum was formed in 1997, until In 2012, the IB career-related technical curriculum was developed. The IB curriculum has been able to provide a continuous international education for students aged 3 to 19 years, and the curriculum encourages students to achieve personal and academic achievement, and motivate students to pursue excellence in academic and personal development.

In general, the IB curriculum has its own uniqueness, because it is not developed from the curriculum system of any school in any country in the world, but exists independently and absorbs the mainstream curriculum systems of various countries in the world. Its advantages in the acceptance and recognition of well-known universities around the world are self-evident.

IB course project setting

As mentioned above, the IB curriculum can provide continuous international education for 3-19 year olds. It is actually divided into three stages internally. First, the primary school curriculum is set as a PYP course, which is suitable for students aged 3-12. It covers the kindergarten stage; the second middle school stage is the MYP course, suitable for students aged 11-16, with a five-year schooling period, and the final high school stage is called the IBDP course stage, suitable for students aged 16-19, with a two-year schooling period.

Former IB Global Director General Jeffrey Beard summed up the 3 advantages of the IB curriculum:

1. Students who participate in the IB Diploma program (high school) have a higher success rate in being admitted to the university.

Research data shows that students who study IB courses are more likely to be admitted to the world’s top universities than students from other education systems, and their university grades are higher and more stable than students with other qualifications.

2. Students in the IB Diploma program (high school) also perform better than other students after entering the university.

The three core requirements of the IB curriculum can well cultivate students’ creativity, action, independent thinking and dialectical thinking, which makes students superior to other students in both action and thinking after entering the university.

3. Its standards are in line with best practice in international education and teaching.

In CAS activities, there are certain requirements for students’ extracurricular practice, which is also in line with the concept of international education and teaching.

IB curriculum system features

One of the characteristics of the IB curriculum is that it represents an educational philosophy and educational thought. This feature is concentrated in the attention and control of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) on the school’s mission, vision, and core values. The condition for obtaining IBO authorization is that the school’s purpose of running a school must be in line with the IB’s educational philosophy of inquiry-based education, lifelong learning and cultivating international talents. This has virtually formed a consensus or common value orientation among all IB international schools in Singapore. These schools are surprisingly consistent in recognizing the core values of the IB, despite vast differences in their schooling histories, cultural backgrounds, facilities and conditions. This kind of consistency is very consistent with the social and cultural atmosphere of Singapore as an international metropolis, and echoes the requirements of the parent group as an international talent. This is the fundamental reason for the popularity of IB international schools in Singapore.

Another feature of the IB curriculum is that it is a school-running standard or a school-running norm. While some other internationally renowned curriculum standards are mainly examination standards or academic assessment standards. In other words, the IB curriculum system is more concerned with how to learn and what to study. The difference is actually quite big. The requirements of the IB curriculum system for teaching content are based on educational concepts. There are scope and advanced normative requirements for each age group and each discipline, and at the same time, it emphasizes the integration of knowledge and disciplines. IB has very specific specifications and requirements in teaching methods, and at the same time, the implementation is checked and corrected through many verifiable procedures and records. Relatively, there is not much emphasis on the examination. Even in the PYP and MYP stages, the traditional examination is basically replaced by a comprehensive assessment.

Summary of IB schools in Singapore

There are currently 38 schools in Singapore that offer IB courses, of which 21 offer PYP courses, 8 MYP courses, 28 IBDP courses, and 2 IB career-related courses.

To know more about the schools and courses, you can go to CatEight.

That’s all for the IB curriculum system and international schools in Singapore. Do you have a better understanding on the IB curriculum system in Singapore now?