Creativity, AC T I O N ,
SERVICE.
THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE Education for a Better World. On Sunday, 29 May, two Townsville Grammar School students, with a large support crew, staged a Colour Frenzy Run with more than 300 runners, raising more than $20,000 for the Black Dog Institute. The event was staged as part of the CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service) component of the International Baccalaureate Diploma, a two-year academic course that is available for Years 11 and 12 at Townsville Grammar School. Established in Geneva in 1968, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a global leader in international education. Almost two million students in 5400 schools in 159 countries are enrolled in an IB programme, including 212 schools in Australia. Townsville Grammar School became an IB World School in 2011 and has been offering the IB Diploma Programme for more than a decade. The Mission of the International Baccalaureate is “to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through education that builds intercultural understanding and respect.” The IB programmes empower students to take ownership in their own learning and develop future-ready skills to make a difference and thrive in a fast-changing world (www.ib.org). Director of Curriculum at Townsville Grammar School, Dr Carolyn Moores, says the IB gives senior students an academic alternative to the QCE/ATAR system. “The IB is an extended academic program with an international education focus through which students
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develop strong academic, social and emotional characteristics.” The main point of difference with the IB is that it is a global program of study. To deliver the IB Diploma, schools must register to be an IB World School, a community of schools worldwide who deliver the IB academic programs. Students around the world benefit from the global education approach, facing the same challenges, enjoying the same benefits, and connecting with each other through this international network.
Students who complete the program are awarded an IB score which is recognised and highly regarded by universities within Australia and throughout the world. IB graduates are regarded as having gained a well-rounded, global education. What is a global education? The IB course is designed to embed international perspectives. Studying a language is essential, and,
