A class at International Schools of North America in HCM City. The school has received authorisation to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. — Photo courtesy of the school

HCM City’s International Schools of North America has received authorisation to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, and thus joins a network of 4,500 IB international schools in 150 countries.

The first cohort of students in the school’s IB programme will graduate in June 2022.

They will get scholarships and meet admission requirements at almost all universities around the world.

To qualify for the programme, SNA went through a two-year process culminating in final interviews.

It attended official IB training workshops on the teaching methodology for specific subjects (for teachers), DP core (for co-ordinators) and IB philosophy (DP co-ordinators and school leaders).

Founded in 1968, International Baccalaureate is a nonprofit international educational programme that helps develop students’ intellectual, personal, emotional, and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalising world.

The Diploma Programme is for students aged 16 to 19. It is recognised as a university entrance qualification in many countries around the world. — VNS