The First Stage of the Diploma

The Malaysian government has approved the development of an international school in malaysia in the capital city, Kuala Lumpur. The school will offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, the world's most rigorous and comprehensive teaching and assessment scheme. The development of the school has been made possible from private donations and supports from the global education community. The school expects to open in September 2021, and is intended to provide a world-class education for the city's expatriate community.

Located in the heart of the city's financial and business district, the school will incorporate sustainable design principles into the initial design of the campus. On-site energy generation will be harnessed to provide power for the entire campus, with solar thermal cooling used to regulate air conditioning and provide comfort for the students. Further green initiatives will include rainwater tanks and harvesting facilities on campus.

The school has received considerable interest from parents and students around the world. The IB offers a wide range of courses, including International Baccalaureate Primary School, the world's first and only international school, established in 1967. IB Diploma candidates are eligible to apply for admission to any of the world's leading universities.

IB Primary Years

The IB Primary Years programme provides students with a solid educational foundation, preparing them for secondary school. It is made up of four languages – English, French, German, and Spanish – offering students the opportunity to take their chosen language to the next level.

With a very high English proficiency requirement, most students will have already studied the language in secondary school. The programme also provides students with a strong understanding of cultural and mathematical concepts, as well as the basics of science and technology. Students have the opportunity to choose a second language, and can advance to the next stage once they have mastered the previous stage's content.

The curriculum is made up of 20 points, with 10 points devoted to English, 10 to mathematics, and the remaining points to a combination of cultural courses and the standard science and technology modules. Students take five subjects in total, with the option to take a sixth subject in the form of a special project, undertaking, or community service.

The first two years of the programme are made up of 10 ‘points', with students taking one language (either English or French) in the first year and progressing to the next level in the second. Students take four to six hours of English a day, four days a week, for the first two years, with an hour every day devoted to grammar, vocabulary, and listening exercises. The programme also includes one hour of French a day, along with four to six hours of German or Spanish a week. The last two years of the programme, known as the ‘Advanced Years', comprise four ‘points', with students again taking one language in the first year and progressing to the next level in the second year. Students are also required to complete a short literature project, an undertaking, or a creative activity, as well as organise and lead a community project.

IB Middle Years

The IB Middle Years curriculum builds on the learning established in the previous year, allowing students to further develop their critical thinking skills and independence. The programme has two cycles of study, with foreign language, literature, and maths being among the required subjects in the first cycle and the remaining subjects being optional and designed to develop employability skills. In the second cycle, content is adjusted to reflect current affairs, with global issues such as climate change and sustainability becoming an important focus.

The first two years of the programme are made up of three ‘points', with students taking two languages (English or French) in the first year and progressing to the next level in the second. Students take four to six hours of English a day, three days a week, for the first two years, with an hour every day devoted to grammar, vocabulary, and listening exercises. The programme also includes one hour of French a day, along with four to six hours of German or Spanish a week. The last year of the programme is made up of two ‘points', with students taking one language in the first and progressing to the next level in the second year. Students are also required to complete a short literature project, an undertaking, or a creative activity, as well as organise and lead a community project.

The first year of the programme is devoted to developing students' language skills, with an emphasis placed on grammar, vocabulary, and writing. In the optional and independent module, students are given the chance to develop their interpersonal skills, with projects, presentations, and debates among the required tasks. Students are also tasked with designing and creating a portfolio with a personal statement, and an advertisement for a holiday resort. In the final year, students are required to complete an ‘enterprise', which involves designing a business proposal and marketing plan for a fictional company. In the language skill module, students are required to design an email campaign for a fictitious client.

IB Diploma

The International Baccalaureate Diploma gives students an advanced academic foundation and allows them to progress to the next stage of their education. Students are required to achieve a certain level of proficiency in five subjects, including English, Mathematics, Science, History, and French or German, with a choice of either French or German. In keeping with the principles of the IB, students develop independent and confident learners who are prepared to tackle the challenges of the future.

The first stage of the diploma is made up of three points, with the remaining two points being made up of two cycles of study. The first cycle requires students to achieve proficiency in English, and is made up of three sub-points, with a focus on the spoken word, reading comprehension, and writing. The second cycle requires students to achieve proficiency in mathematics, with the remaining points being devoted to a combination of history and science. Students are also required to achieve a certain level of proficiency in French or German.

The first year of the diploma is made up of 10 points, with students taking one language (either French or German) and progressing to the next level in the second year. Students are required to complete four to six hours of French or German a day, with an hour every day devoted to grammar, vocabulary, and listening exercises. The programme also includes one hour of English a day, along with five hours of an optional subject. In the second year of the diploma, students have the option to choose their second language, with content adjusted to reflect current affairs, current literature, and historical events. Furthermore, the diploma requires students to organise and lead a community service project, either on or off campus.

The service component of the diploma comes last, with students required to design and conduct a service project that meets the community needs of the region. The project, which can be based in a developed country or in a developing country, must provide students with the opportunity to integrate their language and cultural skills. Schools that host an International Baccalaureate International School are also eligible to apply for funding to support the project. The amount of funding is dependent on the number of students that participate in the project, ranging from £2,500 to £5,000 per student per year. The funding is to help support the school's community engagement activities, such as the provision of medical, dental, and optometric services, as well as the development of cultural facilities and partner networks. In addition, the school may apply for funds to support its outreach programme, engaging with local school communities and increasing their cultural understanding.

Students who graduate with an International Baccalaureate Diploma are highly motivated, confident learners who are prepared to tackle the challenges of the future. Through a combination of classroom teaching and individualised learning, students have the opportunity to develop independence and critical thinking skills, with the support of an expert teaching staff.