School is the first opportunity for an infant to become aware of their surroundings by socialising. Aside from their contact with parents and other family members, children in school are introduced to other people who are in the same stage of learning about the world. This allows them to learn about solidarity and the awareness that comes with knowing that they are not alone. Generating sociable behaviours, such as empathy, fellowship, engagement, and encouragement in the school is also essential for their path to adult life.
The school that you would choose for your child is, understandably, a daunting task. However, when you know what you want for them, it would be easy for you to see that choosing to enrol them in IB schools in Singapore would be the best choice!
The IB school is a place where your child can be encouraged to grow their minds. Through a modular curriculum, their interests are supported while they let their creativity run its course! The value that these institutions put in contributing to the maturity of your child’s thinking is unparalleled. Though often compared to A-levels and traditional schools, plenty of people would say that a child who has learned in the diverse and rich environment of IB schools has a fair advantage that would lead them to further success. Hence, if you want the world to be in favour of your child, you should think about choosing to enrol them there!
What is an IB School?
The IB in IB school means International Baccalaureate. It aims to build a better world by using the means of higher education. Thus, they created four high-quality, challenging programmes to cater to the growth and wellbeing of students aged 3 to 19. Here, you will learn about the programmes and how they foster critical thinking and personal development with experiential learning. The four programmes are:
Primary Years Programme (PYP)
The PYP is the first of the four IBprogrammes introduced in 1997. It was designed to make the transition process of students easier before they get into the net learning programme. Promoting inquiry and fostering the development of the whole child is the aim of the implementation of a transdisciplinary framework of this programme. It means that the children will learn in terms of issues and theses instead of traditional categorical defined subjects.
IB schools that have received an authorisation to become a designated IB world school offers this programme for students aged 3 to 12! Typically, the class size of a PYP is 25 students. This rule ensures that every student will receive special attention!
Middle Years Programme (MYP)
After years in the PYP, students will move up to the Middle Years Programme (MYP) to receive advanced learning opportunities! Here, the curriculum gives more gravity to developmental learning. MYP caters to students who are in the age of 11 to 16, a time when they are recognising their role in the world. With this consciousness, the series of courses that MYP has focuses on connecting a child’s studies with the real-world issues and circumstances happening around.
Being a programme that promotes active learning, global-mindedness, and empathetic thinking, completing the five-year-programme prepares your child to be mindful and explore the expansive issues and ideas that surround and affect them. These learning experiences would eventually be a strong foundation to prepare them for their chosen careers in the future!
Diploma Programme (DP)
DP is an academically balanced two-year programme that prepares students aged 16 to 19 years for success at university and in life beyond. What makes DP stand out among the programmes that were introduced is that students of DP are required to learn at least two languages to promote their understanding and appreciation of other cultures aside from their own. Not only that, but students also gain depth and understanding when it comes to various subjects that enable them to flourish intellectually and emotionally.
With this learning experience and emphasis on global-mindedness and academic preparation, your child would be a prospective student for universities internationally! They know that an IB-bred student has a unique set of skills, attitudes, and outlooks that can put the university at an advantage, considering that the success of a student is also a success of the university!
Career-Related Programme (CP)
The CP is an educational framework that incorporates the values and mission of the IB, the rigour of the DP and career-related education that prepares students for further education, apprenticeships, and even employment. With it being introduced as a marriage between academics and the vocational career-related aspects, one may say that it is a hybrid education. It was further observed that CP students are taking up offers of universities and are being welcomed by universities all around the world. Hence, it is a springboard for students who want to have a full reach of where they can go and what they want to do!
What Makes an IB School Different?
Knowing all of what an IB education can offer, you might already have an idea of what makes these top IB schools in Singapore stand out among other educational institutions. Here are some of their qualities that would make you want to make the switch:
Breadth of study
Specialising in three or four subjects is a must for an IB student. They are required to study courses from six different subject groups, such as humanities, sciences, and mathematics. It is the structure of the IB programme promoted since hyper-focusing on core subjects allows the development of in-depth knowledge and understanding.
Develop well-rounded skills
In contrast to A-levels, the units in the IB programme will develop your child’s communication skills, both verbal and written. The debates initiate research and analysis, and essays that are extensive and thorough will aid in your child’s growth in vital parts that would ready them for university education, and eventually to employment!
Learn the value of time management skills
Balance is what is going to make a student of IB achieve success. It is more than the balance of having six subjects that each has a research project, but it is also how they learn to manage their time with conflicting deadlines, which they would inevitably encounter in their university and working life. You can say that their early experience of managing time efficiently will train them into what comes next in the chapters of their life!
Knowing strengths and weaknesses
Learning does not stop when you graduate. IB schools know this because they promote self-awareness that allows your children to see what they can do and what they need to improve on. As young as they are in primary years, IB instructors will give them the support and supervision they need when they are faced with challenges.
Benefits of IB for Students
Certain characteristics are developed by IB students in their years in the programme that makes them educationally fit for a globalising world. Yes, it may take them years to finish the programmes, but you will see your child’s character improvement along the way.
Below, you will find what makes IB beneficial for your children:
1. Accommodating facilities
The facilities of a school have an impact on the learning process of the students, and IB schools know this. They know that an accommodating facility will help the students’ mental and physical growth! Hence, they ensure that it is always up to standard or even beyond that. For instance, a top IB school ensures that every classroom has adequate space, lighting, and air quality that would avoid them from being distracted from other factors!
2. Value on extracurricular activities
Understandably, academics may be a priority but it should not restrict your child from doing what they love, such as sports. With IB schools, your child can learn to balance their time on passion and academic work. They know that it would help in preventing academic burnout, so they allow your child to develop their skills in other aspects!
3. Scholarship opportunities
When your child holds an IB diploma, they will have higher odds of getting into a well-reputable university and college. Having one almost seems like a promise that a child is knowledgeable, has impressive qualities, and honed talents that would make the institution look good!
4. Holistic approach
Focusing on the holistic development of the students is what IB programmes emphasise because they also focus on what lies beyond the confines of the classroom. With this, it encourages students to become the finest versions of themselves. It may be in terms of cultural awareness, gaining experiences, and through various competitions and activities that IB schools open for them. You can trust that your child would become a person that is fulfilled, considering they would be experiencing plenty of things during their school years!
5. Overall academic success
To help students develop a unique set of attitudes, skills, and opinions that would lead them to success at the university they choose and the career path that they will embark on. By training them to be academically independent, they would be equipped with a thorough understanding and awareness of the world around them. Then, in time, it would enable them to be active participants in a global society and the world!
All in all, it proves that school is an impactful period of a child’s life. It is where your child learns the basic foundation of knowledge that promotes interest and empowers them with opportunities to become successful individuals. Hence, as a parent, you should be picky when it comes to choosing a school for them. It will be the defining moment of their lives when you pick them to complete an IB programme in Singapore!
Your Child’s Bright Future with IB Schools in Singapore
If you look at your child who is in the ages of 3 to 6, it may seem like they are only just beginning life’s journey. However, you may be surprised to know that more than 85% of their brain development is already nearly in place.
Personal growth beginning at a young age is what IBprogrammes push for, and they have carefully integrated that into their curriculum. These challenge students not only perform for the reward of higher academics but for themselves to meet their personal standard. Aiming to inspire a lifelong quest for knowledge and everyday learning, IB definitely achieves to gather a worldwide community of high achievers and those who share a belief that education is the key to unlocking a better world. What is more, your child can be a part of it!
Some parents may take a while to choose this learning experience for their child, but there are qualities that IB schools can ensure that can never be compromised, such as:
- High-quality education
- Comprehensive and rigorous programmes
- Globally recognised curriculum
If you are looking for a top IB school in Singapore, you can start by asking your family and relatives, friends, or consult the parent bloggers in the country! They would help you find the right school where your child can grow.
NPS International School as Your Choice
High-quality education is what the NPS International School is all about. Being an Indian international school that offers the IB programme in Singapore, they strive to achieve academic excellence through hands-on teaching and tailored learning experiences that your child needs to have a bright future! They have programmes for students in their early years to high school students who would want to be cultivated in a structured environment of learning.
As a parent, letting them study in an IB school as young as in their primary years, you can expect them to grow as a unique individual with developed capabilities that can take on the challenges of teenage to career life. It is all thanks to the promotion of global themes that are centred on instilling cultural values in your child’s growth that will enable them to lead in their respective fields of interest.If you want to know more about their admission process and online application, you can check them out on their website! Feel free to send them an enquiry as well.
