Almost 5 per cent of Australian IB graduates received a perfect score of 45 last year,up from 2 per cent the year before. The diploma is not offered at public schools.
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At St Paul’s Grammar in Penrith – where 60 per cent of the year 12 students are sitting IB exams – aspiring industrial design student Emerick Agahari opted for the diploma “because it’s a different approach to learning and the way it translates to university can be very helpful”.
IB students study a broad curriculum choosing subjects from arts,sciences,humanities,mathematics,as well as English and a foreign language.
For St Paul’s student Hannah Whitefield,who plans to study medicine or science at Western Sydney University,it was the “breadth of the curriculum” that sparked her interest in the IB.
A spokesperson for the IB said the diploma was recognised globally for its “academic rigour and holistic education”.
“The rising interest is due to IB being primarily designed to prepare students for higher education and beyond,and it allows for flexibility for students to choose their career pathway and subject interest,” the spokesperson said.
Bellevue Hill private school Cranbrook began offering the diploma this year,with 24 students sitting the IB,and 151 completing the HSC.
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A spokesperson for St Ursula’s College in Kingsgrove said when year 12 students are offered the IB from next year they would not pay any extra for choosing it instead of the HSC.
“The school is proud to offer a greater number of young people,from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds,access to this highly regarded diploma,” the spokesperson said.
IB exams conclude next week,while the HSC finishes on Friday for about 75,000 students. ATARs will be released on December 15 and IB students will receive their results on January 3.
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