Guangzhou primary school gains IB World School status

A primary school in Guangzhou received an authorization certificate from the International Baccalaureate (IB) on June 6 to officially become an IB World School.

The International Baccalaureate, formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization, is an international educational foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland which was founded in 1968.

A photo of Guangzhou International Primary School Baiyun ZWIE. [Photo/zwie.net]

IB World schools are committed to active, creative cross-cultural education and allow the recipients of IB high school diplomas to study at universities worldwide. Guangzhou International Primary School Baiyun ZWIE is the first of its kind in downtown Guangzhou to become an IB World School. According to Jason Tsui, an IB authorization expert, schools must complete a range of strict assessments and verifications in terms of school mission, educational concept, organizations and departments, faculty, teaching methods, school facilities and curriculum. The whole application process could take two to four years.

Li Fu, head of Guangzhou International Primary School Baiyun ZWIE, said it took less than two years for his school to become an IB World School, which is because of the bold attempts it had taken to introduce IB courses and integrate them with its own curriculum.

"To emulate the first-rate curriculum systems, the whole faculty has redoubled their efforts in integrating Chinese and Western curriculums and made great changes in both teaching and studying methods", Li added.

Overseas experts were invited to the school to help teachers single out the disciplinary knowledge and capability training factors in primary school subjects and reshuffle them into special IB trans-disciplinary courses, according to Li.

The city of Guangzhou currently has five IB World Schools and the other four are American International School of Guangzhou, Guangzhou Nanfang International School, ISA International School of Guangzhou and Utahloy International School of Guangzhou.