IP, IB vs A Levels

[Heartlander]

My son is applying for DSA. Mots of the 6 years IP course leads to A Levels. Only the ACS(I) course leads to IB.


Question 1. Which is a better course?

Majority of international schools offer IB. My expat friends who send their kids to Internationsl schools keep singing the praises of the IB program. But I grew up with A Levels and there is always the comfort zone of what we are familiar with.

Question 2. Is the ACS(I) IB a good program?

I went for the ACS(I) open house. The principal was selling IB as a superior program. And the ACS family of schools, though not known to be tops academically (better known for CCA achievements) emerged as top 3 IB school in the whole world. That must be no small feat for a school that had just a started the program a few short years.

Some critics said that it shows that IB is not a great course if it is so easy to be top 3. Could it be that ACS(I) really did a good job? Anyone with kids in ACS(I) to share some views?

Thanks

[csc]

hi


There's already a thread here.

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8100

[jtoh]

First off, you have to realize that ACS(I) takes the top students into its IB programme. At Yr 1, only those who score an aggregate of more than 255 are accepted into IB (except DSA students of course). More students are admitted into IB at Yr 3 and Yr 5, again all top students. So it is not surprising that ACS(I) does very well at the international level. Another thing to note is that ACS(I) will ask students who aren’t performing that well in IB to consider leaving the programme, again boosting its overall performance.

[verykiasu2010]

IB means the students need to be "all rounder" in all subjects


while "A" level allows students to go more in depth at individual subjects by offering H3 level

as a pre-uni course, especially if intending to specialise in uni courses that rely on pre-u foundation, it might be more appropriate to have a stronger foundation via A level to minimise struggle in uni

[xxjustakidxx]

jtoh:

First off, you have to realize that ACS(I) takes the top students into its IB programme. At Yr 1, only those who score an aggregate of more than 255 are accepted into IB (except DSA students of course). More students are admitted into IB at Yr 3 and Yr 5, again all top students. So it is not surprising that ACS(I) does very well at the international level. Another thing to note is that ACS(I) will ask students who aren't performing that well in IB to consider leaving the programme, again boosting its overall performance.

257 last year.

[Faun]

jtoh:

First off, you have to realize that ACS(I) takes the top students into its IB programme. At Yr 1, only those who score an aggregate of more than 255 are accepted into IB (except DSA students of course). More students are admitted into IB at Yr 3 and Yr 5, again all top students. So it is not surprising that ACS(I) does very well at the international level. Another thing to note is that ACS(I) will ask students who aren't performing that well in IB to consider leaving the programme, again boosting its overall performance.

So for those who have to leave the program because they cannot potentially keep the school IB standard up high, what happen to them? Do they stay in ACSI and do 'O' level and then go to JC? Do they offer IGCSE like some International schools do if the student is not competent to do the IB diploma?

It's sad that ACSI is so elitist. Actually the IB program is meant for all, not just the cream of the crop, otherwise how do the International schools run their business. It is therefore not fair or wise to judge the IB program base on ACSI results. I think ACSI is doing IB Diploma to differentiate itself to compete with schools like RI and HCI for the high achiever students. They also sell the program as more superior to A level to attract these bright students over. Apparently, that works. If not for the IB prog. it would not be one of the top schools so quickly. I think ACSI is very very clever and I congratulate them for their success but I don't agree with their style.

[DadOfGirl]

jtoh:

First off, you have to realize that ACS(I) takes the top students into its IB programme. At Yr 1, only those who score an aggregate of more than 255 are accepted into IB (except DSA students of course). More students are admitted into IB at Yr 3 and Yr 5, again all top students. So it is not surprising that ACS(I) does very well at the international level. Another thing to note is that ACS(I) will ask students who aren't performing that well in IB to consider leaving the programme, again boosting its overall performance.

I am hoping that ACS(I) continue to take outside students at year 5. That's how they started first batch which bring staller result...next batch will be out only in Jan-2011.... With intake at yr1 & yr3 , ACS will take very few students at Yr5... :roll:

If they are admitting immediately after PSLE(that too thro' DSA) , is n't it too early... ACS -international does that for very high fee @ 20000 SGD per year ...

Please don't shut out door for O-level students to take Yr-5 route to IB... For bright students there is Integrated program is there ... then leave ACS-I IB program for O level students who has missed IP train....

[twentyseven]

After reading this forum, I’ve been given the impression that many parents prefer the IP system as compared to O levels. Can some people shed light on this as I don’t understand… Thanks

[verykiasu2010]

IP = Integrated Program


The students don’t do ‘O’ level and head straight to ‘A’ level or IB

As anyone who has been a student before knows, Sec 4 year was spent preparing for ‘O’ level exam, drill and drill, and out come the perfect 8A1s, 9A1s etc etc…then wait a few months before enrolling at the JC…and after studying a few more months, time to prepare the ‘A’ level exams again in order to get into unis (local & overseas)

since those kids who are good with the studies are quite surely uni bound, esp those with t-score above 250…and spending lots of time preparing O level and waiting to go JC 1 are time wasted and also had to pace the rest of the O level cohort while they could possibly finish off the O level scope by end of year 3…hence the idea of the "through-train" came about

those smart students can use the time freed up from doing O levels preparation to do in depth subject study, and since no need to drill and prepare to sit O level…they can also advance very quickly through the scope of study instead of waiting for the mandatory 4 year O level track (Singapore MOE mandatory)…

therefore it was a bold but successful implementation of the IP track that comes with enriched curriculum for the kids starting from sec 1 all the way to JC 2, learn more things, do more projects, cover more overseas immersion, more in depth study, partner the uni in research etc while scoring well in the eventual A level still…so the IP track becomes well sought after by parents / kids if the kids’ results are clearly above 250…(top 10%)

and with the intro of IP and through train at the famous JC…it also means entering those JC at year 5 from O level applicants become even much much more difficult because many of the places are already taken by the sec 1 intake with t-score more than 250 or 260 plus plus…resulting in having a ridiculous low L1R5 of 3 points in order to enter HCI & RJC … 3 points from 6 subjects…

hence the rush for IP places at PSLE level, with kids preparing for DSA from Pri 5 onwards, hoping to secure confirmed offer from the IP schools even before taking the PSLE!!!

and also some IP schools have starting "recruiting" the kids from Pri 5 onward…and soft sell / hard sell the schools to them …

[kiasuparent1998]

I guess that’s life. For students taking ‘O’ levels, you really need to be the top 0.something per cent if u wanna get into top jc. You must have all A1, high cca points etc. Good luck and study hard!!!