People who have heard about International Baccalaureate (IB) most likely associate it with the Diploma Programme (IBDP). It is even reflected in our daily usage – we commonly say “I do the IB”, rather than “I do the IBDP.” However, you might be surprised to learn that IB offers other, equally valuable, but less-known programs such as the Middle Years Programme (MYP), which is dedicated to children between 11 and 16 years of age. Curious? Let’s begin to find out!
MYP – First Glance
MYP is a five-year program designed for children aged 11-16. Basically, it’s about the pre-high school education that aims to develop skills necessary once kids get enrolled in high school, especially the Diploma Programme.
The MYP curriculum encompasses eight subject groups:
1. Language Acquisition
2. Language and Literature
3. Individuals and Societies
4. Sciences
5. Mathematics
6. Arts
7. Physical and Health Education
8. Design
These groups overlap with 6 IBDP subjects groups to a great extent, and it is not a coincidence!
Anyway, how exactly education in MYP ends is up to the school, but there is one thing that is required: personal project. Personal project is an investigation of personal interest for an extended period and is marked by IB. Another type of examination in MYP is external assessment (eAssessment), which consists of ePortfolios of coursework and on-screen examination.
Critical Thinking
You may be asking yourself, “Okay, that sounds cool, but I can choose any other program, and get the same results, acquire the same skills.” Fortunately, here I am to resolve your concern. It has been demonstrated that MYP students develop better critical thinking abilities compared to non-MYP students, which gives them an incredible advantage in high school.
Just look at the column chart below:
As you can see, MYP gives an incredible boost to the kids’ education.
MYP VS GCSE
General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is among the most popular pre-high school education programs around the world and the competition to MYP. Because of that, some of you may be thinking what the differences are.
Actually, there aren’t that many. Both programs are comparable regarding the overall content. It is said that the GCSE curriculum places a somewhat greater emphasis on covering a wide range of topics, while the MYP prioritizes delving into subjects more deeply (Polit, 2007), but it is a minor distinction. Therefore, you can’t be afraid of taking MYP as it is no worse than GCSE.
Final Notes
Now you have all the basics about the MYP program. As you can, it is an interesting alternative as far as middle school education is concerned.
If you really got interested in the topic, you are welcomed to visit one of the following places: What is MYP? and MYP curriculum, to broaden your knowledge even further.
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