IB Schools in Armenia

This article talks about the IB (International Baccalaureate) program for Armenian and non-Armenian citizens aged 16-19. Currently, this program is offered by three schools in Armenia: Quantum College, Shirakatsy Lyceum, and UWC Dilijan.

Just a very quick introduction: IB is a two year program (in the Armenian educational system, it corresponds with grades 11 and 12) that prepares students for university level studies; it is recognized by the majority of universities in Western Europe, US and Australia. All the teachers involved in the programme are required to get official certificates from IB and consistently participate in the IB training and seminars. There are 3 types of certifications offered by IB and the school can be authorized to offer the programme only if it satisfies the requirements for the number of qualified teachers. You can read more at the official IB website.

The curriculum is made up of six subject groups and the core, comprising theory of knowledge (TOK), creativity, activity, service (CAS) and the extended essay. Overall, the program is designed to greatly develop students' research, thinking and communication skills. The six groups are: studies in language and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics, and the Arts. There are different courses within each subject group. A student chooses their courses according to their personal academic aims and the courses available at school. Each course can be taught at two levels: high level (HL) and standard level (SL); the decision about the difficulty level of the course is also taken by the student after the discussion with the school counselor. There are minimum 3 courses that must be taken at high level.

The IB uses both external and internal assessment in the Diploma Programme. In average, 80 percent of the final grade for the course depends on the results of the external exams. Teacher assessment is regarded as internal assessment and includes evaluating oral work in languages, fieldwork in geography, laboratory work in the sciences, investigations in mathematics, and artistic performances.

Quantum was the first institution in Armenia that got the official IB authorization to offer the program in the country. So far their students have shown very impressive results that are substantially higher that the world average. To help students adapt to the requirements of the program, Quantum is also running a pre-IB program for 10th graders. This is particularly important to the students who have recently changed their place of living and need more orientation before joining the program. Furthermore, the program is taught completely in English. The option also exists to learn two other language during the course of the year. The number of schools offering an IB program are on the increase in Armenia.