IB visit a ‘triumph’ at GIS

Shelley Gonzales, regional representative of the International Baccalaureate Asia Pacific Region, heaped praise on the hospitality bestowed upon her by Garden International School when she recently visited the only school in the region which offers the IB course to students.

Ms Gonzales met parents, the board, the staff, but most importantly the students, and was treated to a tremendous, slightly Pythonesque performance by IB Years 12 & 13. “Hilarious, but hugely informative,” was how the show was described, which was scripted by Jem Wild-Putsorn over a number of intensely creative weeks. The show told the story of the IB Diploma and was a clever mixture of serious academic material and light-hearted spontaneity. “We’re investigating the possibility of transferring the show to the West End,” said one of the stars, Georgui Sitnikov, tongue-in-cheek.

The IB team at GIS

The International Baccalaureate Diploma is a globally recognized course for students aged between sixteen and nineteen. Based on a pattern of no single country, it is a deliberate compromise between the specialisms required in some national systems and the breadth preferred in others. It is designed primarily, however, as a preparation for university courses in countries throughout the world. Increasingly, high achieving universities regard the diploma as a benchmark of holistic and academic excellence.

According to Dr Ken Winsor from the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin (another high profile visitor to GIS this week), “The International Baccalaureate is the premier pre-university course in the world. We will give preference to IB students who apply to our college.”

Ms Gonzales spoke long and earnestly of the need to increase awareness of the Diploma program in Thailand in particular, citing the recent historic recognition by the Thai Universities of the Diploma program for advanced placement as a huge step in the right direction. Garden International School was encouraged to continue and develop its role as a leading player in regional international education. “There is no doubting our absolute dedication, individually and collectively, to the twin peaks of the International Baccalaureate, the celebration of diversity and academic excellence. The future is very exciting,” explained Andrew Watson, IB Coordinator at Garden International School.

Perusing the in-school newspaper, perhaps Ms Gonzales’ most pertinent comment was, “What a wonderful, lively, intuitive group of students you have at GIS.”