Getting your child to a good IB school can be overwhelming if you don’t have enough information. The school you choose will instil life- skills and learning in your child, influence their personality, and prepare them for the real world. Doing some research will help find a school that nurtures your child’s unique personality, and contributes positively to their overall development.
If you are looking for international schools in Singapore, read on and see a few tips you can try out.
So, How Do You Choose an IB School for a Child?
IB schools, like One World International School (OWIS), bring together a cultural kaleidoscope of students. This diversity of the student body will let your child mingle with peers from different backgrounds, and help them become understanding, wholesome individuals. Evaluate the school curriculum and see how compliant it is with what you’d like your child to learn.
On top of that, look for diverse student communities and hear what parents have to say, see if the school has a positive environment for intellectual growth, and don’t miss out on the student-to-teacher ratio. IB diplomas are extremely interactive and require direct interaction between teachers and students. So, the approach to teaching must be top-notch.
Top 7 Criteria for Choosing an IB School
Wondering how to choose the best IB school for your child? Follow these criteria to help discover the best IB school.
1. The School’s Location
There are few IB schools in Singapore. Most are in or near the city to accommodate international families. However, a few of them in rural areas also offer this programme. Your choice will largely hav e to depend more on roster availability in a school.
2. The Type of IB School
Some IB schools are purely international. That means they only teach the IB curriculum and have no other curriculums in their system. On the other hand, some schools in Singapore teach the IB curriculum on top of the usual national curriculum.
3. The Appropriateness of the IB Curriculum
Once you choose to take your child to an IB school, it can be a lifetime decision. So, you must learn what it entails before agreeing to switch from the national curriculum. However, some parents also choose to take up the IB curriculum to supplement the local curriculum.
4. The School’s Performance
Despite offering the IB curriculum, the school you choose for your child must have a good track record. The best schools will show the progress of their young learners on their websites. For instance, parents can check out the OWIS website for a better picture of student life and progress.
5. Subjects Taught in the Programme
Some IB programmes have a wider range of subjects in their curriculum and students can try different subjects, like music, art, and sciences. So, if your child knows what they want to pursue in the future, you can try and choose a school that offers suitable, relevant subjects.
6. Boarding Facilities
IB schools are either day schools or boarding. If you prefer a day school to a boarding school, you’ll only look into those for your child and vice versa. This feature is important to note since IB schools have weekly, full, and Flexi boarding facilities. Go Trending News brings you the latest trending news, viral videos, viral memes, world’s top trending news, today’s trending events, and fashion trends
7. The Teaching Method
Teachers in IB schools have the additional expertise to teach this programme. It calls for maximum teacher-to-student interaction due to its detailed nature. On top of that, the teacher-to-student ratio matters because it determines the quality of service your child gets. While gauging the teachers is important, also look at class size, school rules, and the school inspection report.
Differences Between the IB and A-Levels
Here is a table showing the differences between IB and A-levels:
| IB | A-Levels |
| Students have six subjects and three independent tasks before getting the diploma | Students generally work on three to four subjects |
| The IB education system is strict about diploma acquisition | Students can incorporate extracurricular activities and structure the programme as they wish |
| In the IB, exams happen once yearly, in May and the results come out in June | A-level exams happen in May and June, and the results come out in August. The retakes occur in October and November |
| Final exams make up 70 to 80% of the total mark for every subject. Assignments (marked by teachers and assessed by external examiners add up to the final grade | Student grades rely on the final exams |
| Students cannot study more than one visual or performing arts subject at a go. Also, it is impossible to learn biology, physics, and chemistry, which leaves some students at a disadvantage | Students choose subjects based on the careers they want to pursue without limitations |
| Lacks subjects like media studies | Subject availability is limitless, despite having 3 primary subjects to choose from |
| The IB is an international qualification | A-levels are more of a national high school qualification |
| More academically challenging | Relatively easier than the IB |
| Students have a higher advantage during university admissions | A-level students come second after IB students when seeking entry into universities |
Despite these A-level and IB differences, both programmes run for two years and are highly beneficial to students.
Benefits of IB for Students
The IB education system is well-loved by Singaporean parents because of several reasons. Here are the benefits of IB:
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Improved critical thinking for students
Your child needs to attain critical thinking skills to solve life and educational puzzles. Fortunately, the IB system encourages your child to solve complex problems and make better decisions in school and after the programme.
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Students experience personal development
The curriculum encourages students to drive their learning instead of relying solely on their instructors. It gives them a sense of responsibility and dedication to school activities. Besides, students learn to balance schoolwork and social work by building teamwork and empathy.
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International recognition
All leading universities recognise IB. So it becomes easier for your child to get into the best university. Moreover, it doesn’t matter where the IB school is since the exams are the same globally. Other schools are fine, but your child should compete on an international level other than nationally.
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Well-roundedness
IB curriculums are broad, exposing your child to more subjects than there are in other curriculums. Some common subjects under the IB include psychology, global politics, film, and computer science, to mention but a few.
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More cultural awareness
The more diverse the IB school, the better. Students get exposure to different cultures by interacting with peers. It expands their knowledge of languages and encourages them to be accommodative of students from different regions around the world.
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Better skills to be a global citizen of the world
A good school environment will always try to build a child’s overall skills. Through the IB curriculum, your child will be equipped with life skills that will help them adapt to this fast-paced world. Because children are given ample opportunity to engage with people from different cultures they will be confident of their own place in society.
Conclusion
OWIS Singapore is an excellent example of a good IB school to enrol your 16 to 18-year-old. Now that you know the benefits of the IB curriculum and the criteria for choosing schools, you can make a more informed choice.
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