The IB Middle Years Programme
The IBMYP is an academic program for students aged 11-16 which is grounded in high quality educational theory and practice, and taught and implemented in over 1,000 international schools worldwide.
The MYP continues the good practices for learning that are created in the IBPYP, which “focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside” (IB, 2014).
After the MYP, students can study in the IB Diploma Programme which is an internationally-recognized university entrance qualification for students who wish to study in colleges around the world.
MYP at QAIS
At QAIS, we adopted the Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme, and Diploma Programme because of our belief that these programs are transformative in nature, bringing out the very best attitudes and values in young people. The philosophy of the IB is also one which works in harmony with the values upon which our Montessori programs are built. We start our MYP at the age of 12, in MYP 2, and students will usually complete MYP 5 at the age of 16.
Challenges for MYP Students
Students in the 11-16 age range are facing tremendous challenges as they develop socially and physically, and have to respond and adapt to an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world around them. In the MYP, we focus on how to meet the needs of adolescents in the best ways we can, and to help them develop their own personal value systems and codes.
The MYP emphasizes holistic education, intercultural awareness, and communication.
Holistic, Whole Child Education
Students are exposed to a range of subject disciplines, where they develop conceptual understandings supported by in-depth subject knowledge. Apart from the cognitive (thinking) dimensions of learning, we fully support the effective (emotional) and psychomotor (physical) aspects as well.
Through holistic education, students realize that the serious problems facing our world require insights gained from a variety of disciplines, and they then understand the differences and similarities between different approaches to human knowledge. By providing multiple perspectives and emphasizing metacognitive skills like reflection, we help students to develop inquiry-based problem solving and a range of other thinking skills that will allow them to successfully respond to the novel challenges that will arise throughout their lives. In doing this we help them to achieve the goal of being life-long learners.
Child-Centered Approach
Our curriculum is constructed so that it encourages success through transparent assessment, challenging yet rewarding tasks, and allowing students opportunities for real personal achievement. Our curriculum is child-centered so that the work we do is authentic, engaging, and relevant to all of our students, even considering their great diversity of backgrounds. We want our students not only to learn, but also to understand the learning process and, whenever possible, we shift from teacher-led instruction to student-led learning.
Additional Languages
Our program requires each student to study one language in addition to English (in most cases, Chinese). We place strong emphasis on mother-tongue development, and celebrate our students’ multilingualism. Good communication skills consistently appear as the most sought-after quality in people at college and in employment, because they are essential for leadership, developing teamwork, and for collaboration.
International-Mindedness
We want our community to reach out and develop our awareness of how we can help others in China and around the world. We see opportunities to share our ideas so as to develop common understandings with other people who may have different perspectives. This is not just exposure to facts and ideas regarding the beliefs and practices of other nations, but it also requires an action-oriented dimension of understanding brought about by student-initiated service and action. We support this action in many ways, including (but not limited to) participating in Model United Nations; local and international service projects; an active Student Voice.