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Published On: Mon, Nov 5th, 2018

St. Dominic High School International Baccalaureate Diploma program a success

Principal of St. Dominic High School Gianne Wilson-De Weever - 20181105 AB

PHILIPSBURG — The St. Dominic High School has introduced an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program which is geared to develop an academically successful student that is well rounded, socially responsible and able to make ethical life choices. This academic program which is a pre-university program is offered to students who have finished high school but not ready to leave for university.

“The IB program has been offered by the school for at least 7 years to make students better prepared for tertiary education,” said Principal of the St. Dominic High school Gianne Wilson De Weever. She explained that it is a “very rigorous program” that has received high reviews from students who are studying abroad, especially after their first or second year at university.

Among the disciplines that they are taught in the IB program are research skills, and how to manage and balance their work load. The students who have applied for the IB program have had a high acceptance rate at universities around the world.

This two year program is geared for students between the ages of 16-19 where they get the opportunity to study languages, social science, experimental science, mathematics and an arts subject.

It was also explained that because of the level of study, the principals of the International Baccalaureate Diploma visited the institution and evaluated it, to ensure that it is ready for this type of education. “They looked at our premises to see how many class were in the school, the school population and to study the dynamics on the island which resulted in the permission to have only one class for IB which should not be larger than 20 students,” she said.

The first year of the IB program the school had some 18 students attending and in the second year they had 15. The school tries not to exceed the amount of students. The principal stated that she is “very positive” about the future of the program since they received applications from other countries and schools which were imminent when they conducted a survey.

What is interesting in this field of study is that the students themselves take the initiative to apply because in some cases the parents feel that their children are not ready to leave to study abroad.