Mrs Cara Fugill
Teaching and Learning Choosing the right curriculum The International Baccalaureate vs WACE Scotch has now offered the globally recognised educational qualification, the International Baccalaureate Diploma, for over a decade with our first cohort graduating in December 2011. The IB programme often attracts interest from prospective parents, Old Scotch Collegians and our current students who are making the tough decision between which model of education will suit them best. So, what is the IB? How does it compare with the Western Australian Certificate of Education (known as WACE) and what kind of learner would benefit from each programme? Firstly, the IB Diploma Programme is still relatively new to Western Australia with just five schools offering the choice in Years 11 and 12. Comparatively though, the IB is the fastest growing education model in the world with 1.95 million students aged three to 19 completing one of the four programmes on offer, this year alone. As of February 2022, there were 7,500 programmes offered worldwide, across
Left to right: Year 12 students Luca Datodi and Jack Rigg; Kyle de Bruin (Year 11) Opposite: Mathematics Teacher Mr Scott Duncan with Year 12 students (kneeling, left to right) Kalani Locke, Cooper Stanley, (standing, left to right) Brodie Haywood, Dylan Falkiner, Patrick Stewart and Mac Baddeley; photographs: Silvertone Photography
5,400 schools in 159 countries. At Scotch, approximately 40 students (roughly 20%) each year choose to study the IBDP in their final two years of school. Firstly, it is important to recognise that the IBDP is an education qualification separate from WACE. If a student chooses this programme, they no longer need to meet the WACE requirements as the DP has its own standards the students must work towards. However, graduating from this programme will guarantee you entry into several universities since the programme is specifically designed to prepare students for a tertiary pathway. Similarly, WACE Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank, or ATAR, courses also prepare students for university. However, it is possible to graduate from this programme without qualifying for university.
The IB is the fastest growing education model in the world.
Curriculum structure A key point of difference is curriculum structure. WACE students make up their programme with six courses in Year 11 and may drop to five courses in Year 12. They can choose any subject combination they want, so long as they take one course from English, Humanities or the Arts (List A) and one course from Science, Mathematics or Design and Technology (List B). The only compulsory course is English. If a student wants an ATAR score required to apply for university, they must take at least four courses that are considered university preparation courses (ATAR courses). This offers students the ability to mix and match, creating a breadth of study that is as broad or as narrow as they like. They can also combine the harder ATAR courses with general courses to balance their workload or degree of difficulty. Additionally, TAFE certificate courses can also contribute to WACE graduation or, if a Certificate IV is completed, the student can use this to enter university.
