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IB Asia Pacific Newsletter

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IB Asia Pacific Newsletter

January - March 2006

Australasia

Diploma Programme - 2005 Graduates

Overall results in Australasia for the Diploma Programme in 2005 were excellent.  Over 95% of students were awarded the Diploma.  Thirteen students gained a perfect score of 45 and almost 25% of students gained scores of over 40.  It is still important that we encourage access to the programme for all students for whom it is suitable and foster the wonderful cultures and experiences in IB World Schools that do so much to prmote the IB mission and develop the type of learners outlines in the new Learner Profile.  There are about 2,700 students studying for the IB Diploma in Australasian schools in 2006.

Over the past three weeks, I have attended three Diploma awards and graduation ceremonies.  Each had their own unique characteristics, celebrating the remarkable achievements of the IB Diploma graduates, their teachers and their schools.  At the Victorian event, Matthew Albert, a 1998 graduate of Wesley College and Young Victorian of the Year 2005, spoke with great passion about his involvement with the UN Food Programme in Sudan.

 

Meeting with NSW Department of Education

In February, Laurie Ince and I met with the NSWDET Strategic Initiatives Directorate to discuss development with state schools in other states in Australia and around the IB world.  However, cooperation will take some time to establish.

 

IB DP/UAI Conversion

We are still working on gaining access to the data used by UAC to establish the NSW conversion that contributed approximately 16% of the Australian Weighted Average (AWA) to be used for 2007 Diploma graduates entering universities in 2008.  The new AWA varies from the original state conversions differently in each state.  Initially, SA will continue to use the current SATAC conversion.

 

Advanced Placement, Credit and Scholarships

Thank you to the Diploma Programme Coordinators who provided information about scholarships, credit or advanced placement given to Diploma graduates.  If other coordinators have more information about students who have any of the above, please contact the Australasia office as Greg is compiling an article for IB World.

Promoting credit and advanced placement for Diploma students is an ongoing pursuit for our office.  However, this form of recognition of the Diploma Programme often occurs at the school/departmental level of a university, and the sheer number of such schools makes this a mammoth task for our 1.5 person office.  Any contact that IB schools can make with the representatives of university departments/schools is very effective at creating interest and awareness of the IB Diploma Programme.  Our office has recently been contacted by a representative of the School of Medical Science at Griffith University in this way.  Please inform your university contacts of our office details.  We can provide universities with research and further information about the Diploma Programme, credit and advanced placement.

 

State Government Support for IB in South Australia

Some state high schools in South Australia have been given some support by the SA department to introduce the Diploma Programme.  The first of these to proceed will be Blackwood High School which is hoping to have its authorization visit later this year.

 

Rich Language Experiences

During the recent authorization visit to Telopea Park High School in Canberra, it was a delight to witness the amazing work done with the language immersion and bilingual French-English programmes.  The articulation of the language opportunities and experiences in Red Hill Primary School, Telopea Park and Narrabundah College are rather unique in Australasia.  The bilingual German-English Diploma Programme at the German School the bilingual French-English programme at Lycee Condorcet in Sydney and the Indigenous Language Programme at Murray Bridge High School are other examples that are also comparable with the recent experience I had visiting the German European School in Singapore.  The Kilmore International School, Auckland International College and many other IB World Schools are offering rich language experiences for students and I am delighted to see IB schools recognizing the rich cultural diversity that now exists in our region.  There are indeed many, many more that I could mention.

 

Federal Reporting Requirements in Australia

It is important that Coordinators in IB World Schools in Australia who are looking at how best to meet the state and system interpretations of the Federal Reporting Requirements and maintain IB assessment and reporting philosophy and practices communicate their approaches with the Programme Managers in Singapore so that we can arrive at some consistency and agreed practices.

We would like to thank St Leonard's College in Melbourne for hosting the PYP workshops held on 17 - 19 January 2006.

Greg Valentine, Regional Representative Australasia

Aileen Woo, Personal Assistant

Email: ibapaus@ibo.org


Staffing

Aileen Woo will be leaving the Sydney office at the end of April 2006.  We will be advertising to recruit her replacement but if you know of someone who may be suitable and interested in the position, they should contact the office.  The candidate should already be familiar with the IB, with good ICT, organizational and interpersonal skills, the ability to work independently and possess an alignment with the IB philosophy.

The position is for 30 hours a week and can be flexible e.g. 0900 - 1500 Monday - Friday or four days or three and two half days, etc.

Aileen will be missed as she is efficient and a wonderful support in so many ways, especially as my 'tech angel' and for the work she has done with schools and universities.  She will be doing her GAMSAT exams in March and intends to commence her medicine studies.