From the Principal
IB course selection – a subjective choice
For schools everywhere, there is a point where the focus for school leaders moves towards planning for the following year. It is a shift that brings with it the optimism of new beginnings and another opportunity to improve, to get it right next time. It is an enticing prospect that keeps educators absorbed in a lifelong quest to do the very best for their students.
In Victoria, each year this coincides with signs of Spring, always a time of renewed hope and, at Preshil, as in many other secondary schools, this shift in focus is heralded by the selection of subjects our students will choose to study in their two year IB Diploma Programme.
Dan has written about our successful adventure in transferring our Subject Expo online earlier this week and I invite anyone who missed out to follow up with individual teachers, Kavita Mathai, our Diploma Coordinator, with Dan or with me for further information. A copy of the 2021/2022 Parent & Student Handbook can be found here.
In the IB, the choice of what subjects to choose is a genuine one, shaped by personal preferences, individual strengths and possible tertiary pathways. Every subject is equally respected as a valued area of human knowledge and pursuit. No subject is ‘scaled up’ or ‘scaled down’. The Arts are the equals of Higher Level Maths, the progress made in learning a new language is valued as highly as the attainment in a language studied over many years, and Environmental Systems and Societies is the equal of Physics and so on. This means there is no incentive to select subjects the student either dreads or finds uninteresting or that offer little genuine capacity for the student to flourish.
In the Diploma, assessment is based on clearly articulated criteria and not bedevilled by a ranking system designed to produce a normal distribution. External assessments are rigorously moderated to ensure these criteria are applied fairly and that the Diploma represents a genuinely global passport to international tertiary placements and employment.
It is very exciting to welcome and support a new cohort of students into this selection process. Teacher discussions are intense and the passion for their own subjects shines through their invitation to students to consider each possible component of their course.
"... there is no incentive to select subjects the student either dreads or finds uninteresting or that offer little genuine capacity for the student to flourish."
Underpinning the Diploma is the requirement to select a breadth of subjects across the five or six subject groupings, with the need for every student to undertake Maths and a second language, bringing Australian students into alignment with the majority of cultures for whom mathematical and bilingual competence is a basic expectation.
At Preshil we have managed to maximise the flexibility and the choice available and encourage students to build a course that is balanced and manageable. Subjects that require a portfolio, others that require extensive reading, subjects without any exam assessments and subjects that demand considerable research or prior skill attainment – all elements go to design the final six subjects that will be both satisfying and engaging.
As anyone familiar with this newsletter will already know, Preshil students and their families have an exceptional Careers Program designed to honour our commitment to ensuring that every student has a course that will allow them to make excellent choices at the end of their schooling. Every student can take comfort in expert advice on the numerous ways there are to achieve the career path that suits them. Bronte Howell can also provide advice on alternative pathways that diverge from the IB Diploma Programme. Her network of tertiary contacts and her knowledge of pre-requisites and what courses and pathways are available is truly exceptional.
Since gaining our Diploma authorization in 2017, Preshil has been able to concentrate on building an outstanding team of IB experts, with the School committed to advanced IB professional development up to the level of IB Educators, Examiners and Advisors.
Our anticipated group of 45 young adults selecting their subjects for 2021 will all benefit from this specialist approach and the breadth of choice the School is now able to offer.
We can’t wait to see what they choose.
Marilyn Smith
Principal