IB Schools in Rzeszow

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Education in Rzeszów
The International Baccalaureate Programme
Levels of the International Baccalaureate Programme
Schools with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme
Benefits of the International Baccalaureate Programme
Rzeszów schools with the IB Programme

Education in Rzeszów

In history, the first mentions of education in Rzeszów date back to the beginning of the 15th century, where the parish school was teaching. The city developed intensively to become the most important academic centre of south-eastern Poland after World War II. In a short time, the first two universities in Rzeszów were established—the Pedagogical University and the University of Engineering—the second of which was later transformed into the Rzeszów University of Technology (then a branch of the University of Maria Skłodowska in Lublin, Agricultural University and the Higher Theological Seminary).

In 1996, the private University of Management and the University of Information Technology and Management joined, and at the beginning of 2001, they began operating the University of Rzeszów. As of today, about 53,000 pupils and students from the city and nearby towns are educated in Rzeszów. They gain knowledge at numerous universities, both private and public primary, secondary, and junior high schools. Rzeszów has become a city of young people, offering high-quality teaching programs, including education based on the International Baccalaureate.

The International Baccalaureate Programme

The International Baccalaureate (IB) educational foundation was established in 1968 at the International School of Geneva, which created a unique curriculum. Its assumption was the desire to educate young people who, thanks to international education, will be eager to understand foreign cultures and languages, and their thinking will go beyond the norms. Graduates of the school with the IB program are therefore extremely inquisitive, and ready to empathize with and understand others. The IB works closely with schools, governments, and international organizations to ensure that the curriculum includes compulsory information and a standardized set of examinations for students from all over the world, but gives much more. International education based on the assumptions of the IB has a positive effect on tolerance and is ideal for children and young people who want to get to know the world better and feel good in it.

Levels of the International Baccalaureate Programme

IB carries out four levels of education:

- Primary Years Programme (PYP)

This is a program for students aged 3 to 12. Thus, education begins at preschool and lasts until the end of primary school. The main assumption in this period is to develop appropriate social behavior and focus on the emotional needs of a young student. After completing such learning, the student becomes more curious about the world, caring and tolerant, and aware of the variety of needs and behaviours of classmates. During education in the IB Programme, the child also becomes more communicative, bold, and prone to reflection. Another feature that’s developed during the Primary Years Programme is adherence to rules, openness to others, and research skills. Children very often have to acquire knowledge themselves, and of course the guidance and help of teachers is provided.

- Middle Years Programme (MYP)

This is the period of the International Baccalaureate education, which covers 11 to 16 years of age. During this period, cognitive processes and a correct social attitude are shaped. The Middle Years Programme is also a slow introduction to academic life and already at this stage students receive many indications that will help them choose their further education. Thanks to this approach, students of International Baccalaureate (IB) schools are helped to choose proper educational and later professional paths. The subjects at this stage are mother tongue, foreign language, mathematics, geography, biology, chemistry, history, art, music, physical education, and family life education.

- The Diploma Programme (IB DP)

IB Diploma Programme is the last stage of education in the IB system. It covers young people from 16 to 19 years of age (high school) and ends with the matriculation examination. However, this is called the International Baccalaureate Diploma, thanks to which admission to foreign studies becomes much easier. A student who graduates from such a school is also more open to the world and diversity and adapts fearlessly to new, culturally different conditions around the world. All this thanks to tolerance, which is one of the main principles of learning in the IB system.

- Career-Related Programme

This is a level of education dedicated to students also aged 16 to 19, but in the form of vocational training. This Programme leads to apprenticeships or tertiary employment. It was introduced in 2012, but has not yet been implemented in Poland.

Schools with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme

Schools with IB can be found in 157 countries around the world, and the number of such facilities (the latest data as of September 3, 2019) is 6,812.

In Poland, IB schools operate mainly in larger cities, mostly in private schools. The IB Programme has been operating in Poland since 1993 and is currently implemented by 53 schools.

Benefits of the International Baccalaureate Programme

Schools with the International Baccalaureate program focus not only on learning specific theoretical and practical issues in various subjects (mathematics, Polish, history). They are also aimed at the development of the student on many levels: social, intellectual, emotional, and linguistic. Students are prepared for adult life. Not only do they master languages perfectly, but they also learn how to search for their own interests and develop them. They realize how important self-education is, and at the same time they learn about philosophical and psychological issues that are important in life.

They learn how to learn effectively. They deal with stress more easily and learn how to function in a variety of environments. Secondary schools that don’t have the International Baccalaureate Programme focus primarily on ensuring that students' knowledge of specific subjects is at the appropriate level to pass the matriculation examination. The International Baccalaureate Programme is more than that. It educates in many fields, but also helps in developing students' planning skills and consciously managing their own career.

You can read more about the benefits of the IB program in the article Advantages of the IB Programme.

Rzeszów schools with the IB Programme

In September 2018, the International Baccalaureate program was launched in one of the high schools in Rzeszów. In order to obtain the possibility of implementing the IB Programme and conducting the International Baccalaureate, the school must obtain the accreditation of the IB organization on the basis of, above all, the excellent results of students in the Olympiads and the specialist preparation of the teaching staff. The general secondary school in Rzeszów, after Geneva's approval of the desire to study in accordance with the assumptions of IB, received a Dutch coordinator who oversees the entire project of the International Baccalaureate.

Preparations take about two years. A school must go through many stages, often costly, to become eligible for IB education. Educated teaching staff—specialists in their field fluent in English—is the basis. Teachers must undergo appropriate courses, and at the end of preparations, the school must pass an accreditation visit from Geneva. As of today, it’s the only school in Rzeszów, and in the entire Podkarpackie region, that participates in this program.

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Rzeszów International Baccalaureate Schools