Source:
https://scmp.com/presented/news/hong-kong/education/topics/international-baccalaureate-vsa/article/3078918/ib Education
Is an IB Education Better in this Rapidly Changing World?
An Interview with the Secondary Principal of Victoria Shanghai Academy
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Victoria Shanghai Academy
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During these unprecedented times, international public examinations such as the International Baccalaureate® (IB) exams have been cancelled as a safety measure, generating questions and concerns from parents and students about university admissions and their futures. Victoria Shanghai Academy (VSA), an internationally recognized and highly respected, bilingual IB World School, with two full-scorers in the 2019 IB exams, is one of the schools in Hong Kong affected. VSA’s Secondary Principal, Mr. Christopher Coates, was interviewed and provided some insights into the IB programme, the impact of the cancellation of final examinations, and how this might affect a student’s progression in the future stages of their lives.
In your opinion, how has this global pandemic impacted students’ learning?
Educators around the world have been working hard to provide remote teaching and learning programmes to their students during the pandemic. Schools in Hong Kong have been at this for much longer than other countries, so many of our international colleagues are now reaching out to us for guidance; we are viewed as experts, now having more experience and expertise. The situation has forced our faculty at VSA to be more innovative and forward-thinking, finding creative solutions to teach and engage in new ways while still reaching programme objectives. The online curriculum we now provide parallels what would have been offered in the classroom. Our teachers have done an amazing job in very difficult circumstances! The goals of an IB education are still being met, but in ways we would never have expected.
We are still developing the usual skills in an IB programme, some of which include: creativity, effective communication, collaboration, empathy and emotional intelligence (EQ). But this year, our kids have developed and demonstrated incredible resilience, as they have been forced to navigate difficult circumstances due to school closure.
With the cancellation of the IBDP final exams, how will universities assess the students?
For every DP course, students have already submitted multiple assessments over the two years of the programme. In normal times, some of this work is assessed internally by VSA teachers, while others are assessed externally by IB examiners. This year, with the cancellation of the final exams, all of the students’ work will be assessed externally by IB examiners worldwide. The IB Organization (IBO) will take these results into account, using predictive analytics tools to review and evaluate each student’s course work. The results will be calculated by the IBO using vast historical data to ensure that the organization is following a rigorous process of due diligence and ethics. They will also consider data from previous years’ exam sessions, individual school data, subject data, and comparative data among schools to ultimately determine each students’ score. The final results, as always, will be released in early July. It is these results that many universities will use to make final admissions decisions.
Fortunately, the IBO and our VSA University Counselling Office (UCO) have built strong relationships with university admissions departments around the world. There have been frequent and regular conversations with admissions officers, particularly during this period, The universities are well aware of the difficulties our students have experienced throughout the year, and will most certainly take this into account when making their decisions. .
How will this affect students’ chances to enter their dream universities?
The cancellation of the final exams should not have any impact on our students’ ability to achieve entrance into their dream schools. Every graduating student worldwide is experiencing the same challenges, whether it be an IB Diploma student, or students engaged in other academic programmes. The advantage of having an IB diploma is that universities already have a deep understanding of the rigorous of the programme, even without the exams. They know, historically, how well-prepared and successful IB students are in post-secondary studies. We are extremely confident that the absence of final examinations will not affect our students; admissions officers know that our students have been well prepared throughout their years at VSA in an IB through-train school. This includes the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and the Diploma Programme (DP). Most of our graduates will have been immersed in all three IB programmes for 12 years.
For our graduates, we measure success when they find the right ‘fit’ in a university. We want them to be happy, healthy and accomplished in whatever programme or school they choose. For most, this is usually one of the top universities in Hong Kong, UK, USA, Canada, or Australia. All of our students move on to some of the best post-secondary institutions around the world.
Any advice for parents or students considering to study the IB programme?
Yes! Make sure you do your homework so you have a deep understanding of the ethos of an IB education. It is a balanced and rigorous programme that may not be for everyone. Students are challenged in a broad range of disciplines which include: languages, mathematics, sciences, humanities, and the arts. Parents need to be certain that their child is a good ‘fit’ for such a programme. However, it is the rigour associated with a balanced approach to learning, along with a commitment to intercultural awareness and global citizenship, that prepares students so well for post-secondary studies and life afterwards. The IB programme develops strong students, but more importantly, it produces good people.
Victoria Shanghai Academy Hong Kong (VSA) is Hong Kong’s first through-train IB World School offering three IB programmes - Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP).
VSA provides a bilingual and stimulating learning environment to promote student agency and intercultural understanding for local students as well as students from diverse backgrounds. With an average IBDP score of 38.2 in 2019, VSA is ranked in the Global Top 20 IB Schools 2019 amongst over 5,000 IB international schools in 156 countries worldwide.