Bespoke Curriculum

[ffmary]

Do any strong and respected English-language international schools maintain a bespoke curriculum that does not include the IB, AP, or British Curriculum? Back in the day most international schools had their own curricula but clearly one-size fits all is the trend these days for a variety of good and not so good reasons. I am just trying to find out if there are any independent hold-outs that have enough faith and confidence in their home-grown curricula that they don't feel the need to offer the IB, AP, etc.

[ISRian]

Hi
Have you checked out the International School of Brussels' Common Ground Curriculum?
It's pretty impressive.
http://www.isb.be/page.cfm?p=3449

[jessiejames]

True - but the majority of ISB students still chose to take the IB. Why? Because it is more easily recognised by top universities, which is what most international schools are taking into account. Furthermore the transient nature of an IS student community makes popular curriculum programs like IB a more sensible choice - I moved countries during high school, but my new school used the same curriculum which made it so much easier for me. I don't think my parents would have chosen a school for me that used a different curriculum to the one I had been following throughout my teenage years.

[sid]

Honestly, back in the day most schools didn't have a curriculum. They might have had something they claimed was a curriculum, but calling a mud pie a castle doesn't make it so.

[PsyGuy]

I agree with Sid, what schools use to call an "in house" curriculum was just a more marketable way of saying they dont have a curriculum, and many schools are still the same. The lit teacher basically taught their favorite authors, and the science teacher taught what ever their expertise was in. Curriculum changed with new teachers.

Its not one size fits all, its standardization and common criteria. Thats a good thing, Unis want to know whata student knows and that they are capable of success at that institution, common standards and criteria do that. Common standardized curriculum and programs offer portability and mobility.