International Engagement with the International Baccalaureate
Each year as a member school of the International Baccalaureate a delegation from the College attends the IB Asia Pacific Conference to connect with educators within our region to ensure we remain at the forefront of international education. This year the conference was held in Macau, China.
The conference theme for 2015 was 'Educating for Life', with a strong message to educators to encourage students to be content with no absolute answers and to continually question what they learn.
The conference began with a reference to the German educator, Kurt Hahn, 'I regard it as the foremost task of education to ensure the survival of these qualities: an enterprising curiosity, an undefeatable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self-denial, and above all, compassion'. These words reminded the Scotch College delegation of the philosophy that comes with being an IB World School.
The keynote address was from Australia's 27th Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, who spoke of her role as the Chair of the Global Partnership for Education, an international organisation focused on providing all children across the globe with quality education. Additionally, Ms Gillard discussed the changing nature of education and the increasing need for our students to operate with a global mindset, one that the IB is able to develop through the IB learner profile.
The conference provided the opportunity for staff to engage with schools from across the region and learn of the different ways schools are engaging in the IB philosophy and how they are delivering education to meet the needs of their learners.
When asking ourselves, what does it mean to be an IB school, the answer lies within the power of providing an internationally-minded education. An education that speaks volumes, not just across the Asia Pacific region, but the entire world as the profile of the organisation continues to go from strength to strength.
Mr Peter Allen
Director of Teaching and Learning
