An international ticket to success

ST Christopher’s School is introducing the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma programme in September 2008 adding another feather in its cap of growing achievements.

The school became a candidate school for the IB diploma programme last June. At present some of its faculty is undergoing specific teacher training while the school is in the process of putting systems and a curriculum in place for the its successful introduction next year.

The IB diploma is being offered to students in addition to A levels because of the increasing student demand and the fact that it is growing exponentially throughout the world as a well-rounded learning achievement.

But why has St Christopher’s been so slow in introducing the programme which has been  offered by schools in Bahrain since the early 90s?

“The school introduced its A’levels programme in 1997 with 23 students and now there are approximately 110 students who will take their A2 exams (second year of A level) in 2008.

“We feel that now is the right time to introduce the programme because we have the student numbers and the fact that we are truly an international school with 63 nationalities presently,” explained Steve Martin, IB co-ordinator at St Christopher’s Senior School.

“What sets us apart from all the other schools offering IB is really our student body which is so multi-cultural. IB provides an international and intercultural understanding and is the currency to getting into good universities abroad.

“IB creates a standardised plane and provides well-rounded professionals in the long run.

“Where A levels will give a good engineer, IB will give engineers who can speak a different language which will be advantageous for them if they have to work in another country.” 

The introduction of the IB programme does not mean that the A levels will take a back seat at the school.

“There will be two pathways for our students to choose from,” stressed Mr Martin.

“It is a fallacy that IB is a more rigorous programme than the A levels, both are challenging and any student who is able to do A levels is able to do IB. It’s just that the scope and emphasis of IB is different.”

Describing an ideal IB candidate Mr Martin said: “IB is for the more internationally-minded student who should be well organised and highly motivated and have a holistic approach to education.”

But at the end of the day the choice to pursue IB or A levels rests on the students and their parents and the school will guide them regarding subject choice depending on their prospective career path.

St Christopher’s is offering most of the subjects based on student demand according to a recent survey conducted by the school.  

Although the general perception is that in the first year of IB the popularity scales will tip slightly in favour of the A levels but Mr Martin predicts that it will be a hugely successful programme over the years given its worldwide popularity.

“Parents will probably be reticent initially but in due course they will see that compared to the A level it is an equal, and in some ways better, preparation for university given the skills developed during the programme – like research, critical thinking skills and the ability to study independently – along with the ‘Extended Essay’ the IB students have to undertake. The IB diploma has the strengths of a pre-university curriculum,” he said.

Parent’s opinion

Prakash Pathmanathan is Annika’s father. They are originally from Sri Lanka and have been living in Bahrain for three years. He is the chief financial officer of Shamil Bank and talks about his previous experience when his son, who is at a leading business school in the US now, took his IB. “My son found his first year of university easy and that was primarily due to IB because a good part of the freshman year was done in IB.

“When we moved to Bahrain we wanted Annika to continue in the IB programme which she had been doing since childhood but Bahrain School was an expensive option. We are very happy that St Christopher’s is offering the diploma programme which comes at a perfect time for Annika.

“Initially we were apprehensive that the school would not be well-prepared but regular IB presentations give us a good idea that such is not the case. St Christopher’s has a reputation of providing quality education and there is a good probability that they will succeed in this new venture.”

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LARS Denlew is Gabriella’s father. He is Swedish and is presently the head of distribution and e-commerce at Gulf Air.

He is a great supporter of the IB programme because his children come from the mainland European school system where the British standard A level is not well-recognised. “IB is a standardised diploma and much broader than A levels and I think that at 16 Gabriella is far too young to select the subjects which will shape her future career.

“I feel that the British school system will eventually be reformed and will give way to a more well-rounded programme aimed at the modern world. My only concern with St Christopher’s is the faculty. I hope that the teachers are qualified and trained to teach the IB diploma as it is very different from teaching A levels.”

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Sanjay Bahl is Anant’s father and they hail from India. He is the senior manager of commercial banking at HSBC in Bahrain.

He is very keen on Sanjay pursuing IB as it will provide him greater opportunities in terms of where he wants to go to university – whether to the UK, US or Canada.

“IB gives an international flavour to education and provides a greater breadth of knowledge. My older son took his IB diploma from the Bahrain School and I know what it entails.

“We have been kept well-informed by the school and I am confident of St Christopher’s capability in handling such a programme.

My only concern is that if the student numbers are very few in the first year the subjects on offer will also be less and with fewer students in a class the level of interaction among students will be little.”

What is an IB diploma?

THE IB programme is a challenging two-year programme for students between the ages of 16 and 19 that places strong emphasis on the ideals of international understanding and responsible citizenship.

Students choose from a wide range of subjects within the six groups of The Hexagon which provides the student the opportunity to design a course around their own aspirations and interests.

Three subjects are taken at higher level and three at standard level. Central to the philosophy of the diploma programme are three vital courses Theory of Knowledge (ToK), Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) and the Extended Essay.

The IB diploma is not modular like the A level programme. Examinations are held in May in Year 2 at the end of the two-year course of study.

To gain the diploma, a student must achieve a minimum of 24 points and satisfactorily complete the extended essay, the ToK course and CAS activities.

Annika Pathmanathan (15)

Initially I was a little apprehensive with the fact that I would be the first group of students opting for IB at the school which has no prior IB experience but after seeing the school’s commitment I am confident of enrolling in the programme.

Also I have studied IB as a child as it starts from three years and I am familiar with the concept and curriculum.

My brother took his IB two years ago and he is now at a university in America and according to him IB helped him at university which is a very encouraging example for me.

Tarun Iyer (15)

IB offers a whole range of subjects which is what I’m looking for.

Also I enjoy doing community work and the fact that I can get credit for it through CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) module is an added advantage. I feel that IB will provide a brand new learning experience for me.

There was a ‘what if something goes wrong’ as we are the first group of students but I am quite confident that the school is not going to make guinea pigs out of us.

Praveer Nidamaluri (15)

The Theory of Knowledge (ToK), Extended Essay and Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) is what I like about IB because it is not only academic but makes you into a well-rounded individual.

I also like the fact that I don’t have to narrow down my choice of subjects just yet.

Anant Bahl (15)

My older brother opted for IB 15 years ago at the Bahrain School and at that time my parents did not know much about IB.

But after his fulfilling experience they are encouraging me to take it and I have no qualms in going for it. I feel the CAS part of IB is all about learning through actions which is an integral part of the making of a human being.

Ashleigh Aitken (16)

IB gives you the broad spectrum of education which is needed for university and in the world today.

I feel I will have an extra edge if I do the IB diploma because it makes you into a well-rounded person which will give me a fantastic base for university.

Also, the A level is more profession specific and I don’t know what I want to study yet so IB will give me the opportunity to take a wider range of subjects.

Gabriella Denlew (15)

My brother is presently taking the IB programme at Bahrain School and if St Christopher’s hadn’t offered it next year I would have probably gone there because right from the beginning I knew that IB was what I wanted to do.

I was very happy when I discovered that St Christopher’s was offering the programme. I come from Sweden and there they are not very familiar with A levels but IB is recognised. I know it is a challenging programme but I like challenges.