Nowadays, many private schools are competing to offer the best facilities for prospective students. One important thing that made it interesting is the curriculum. In addition to the national curriculum, private schools also add a variety of local content that aims to hone the interests and talents of children. Not only the national curriculum, but some schools are also offer an international curriculum such as St Andrews Sathorn. The goal is clear so that children can compete more in the world later after graduated. The international curriculum is believed to be more effective than the national curriculum in various aspects. You can visit the website of the best international schools in Bangkok here https://www.standrewssathorn.com/.
The international curriculum taught at Thai private schools is divided into
two, namely International Baccalaureate or IB, and Cambridge. What are the
differences and similarities between the two international curriculums? Which
international curriculum is superior? These two questions are mostly asked by
parents who want to send their children to international private schools. Do
you want to know the answer? Let’s look at the following article.
International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum
International Baccalaureate is a non-profit foundation located in Switzerland.
As part of its work program, the foundation has curriculum programs that are
taught in thousands of schools throughout the world. The curriculum has three
stages and four branches, aimed at students aged 3 to 18 years. These stages
are:
- IB Primary Years Programme for children aged 3-12 years
- IB Middle Years Programme for children aged 11-14 years
- IB Diploma Programme for children aged 15-18 years
- IB Career-related Programme for children aged 15-18 years
The
general IB curriculum is taught in the United States. 60% of schools that adopt
IB are in the US. The IB curriculum aims to encourage children to become
responsible global citizens, as well as emphasizing cultural exchange. Besides,
students are required to be able to conduct independent research. At the end of
the IB study period, Diploma level, students are required to write 4,000-word
essays with selected topics. However, to move from the Middle Years to the
Diploma level, there is no standardized test.
Cambridge curriculum
Cambridge International Examination, or CIE, is part of Cambridge University
based in the UK. This curriculum is taught in more than 10,000 schools
worldwide, but more is taught in the UK and its commonwealth countries. One of
the countries that have successfully implemented the Cambridge curriculum is Singapore,
which adapted the CIE with its local wisdom. CIE consists of several levels,
namely:
- Cambridge Primary (5 to 11 years old, kindergarten / elementary school equivalent)
- Cambridge Secondary 1 (11 to 14 years old, equivalent to junior high school)
- Cambridge Secondary 2 (14 to 16 years old, equivalent to junior high/high school first year)
- Cambridge Advanced (16
to 19 years old, high school equivalent)
Like
the IB curriculum, the Cambridge curriculum also requires students to be active
learners. However, the biggest difference is on the student’s exam that will
take. Step up to the Cambridge Advanced level, students have to pass the IGCSE
or O-level exam first. This exam has several levels, from A * to G. Students
are also allowed to choose elective exams to be tested besides compulsory
exams.
After knowing the differences between Cambridge and IB, it is hoped that you
will be more steady to choose a private school with an international curriculum
for your child. How is it? Are you ready on choosing the school?