A Parent’s Perspective
Katina Law
Mother of Joshua Law (OSC 2019)
“Our son recently graduated, and we are delighted to have seen our son’s development through studying the IB Diploma. We feel that the IB Diploma has produced a well-rounded, articulate, organised young man.
Even in the midst of a pandemic, when he was meant to be travelling, we watched him instead settle into working for a small consulting company as a project coordinator and doing an excellent job. He has come out of high school job ready.
Our son took a route that played to his strengths. He was not a boy who achieved top results but by taking subjects that played to his interests, like Global Politics, Business Management and Design Technology, and studying a more accessible Mathematics course, it allowed him to find his way through the Diploma. His final results were easily enough to get into most courses at UWA and around the world.
We also felt he benefitted tremendously from the IB Core, particularly Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS). CAS saw him lead a wonderful project of his own initiative, which taught him so much about communication, time-management and problem-solving, and underpinned his job-readiness.”
Nigel Leishman
Father of Aren Leishman (OSC 2018)
“Our son graduated from the IB Diploma programme at Scotch College in 2019 and we would recommend it to any potential student and their parents. It requires hard work and dedication but the results achieved meant it was easier for him to transition into the university course of his choice, and even skip a few first year classes. However, it was more than just exam results that the IB provided. The academic curriculum is challenging and rewarding, but the broader inclusion of language, music and community service helps build confidence and independence, preparing them well for the future.
We chose Scotch College specifically because they offered the IB, having first experienced the programme while living overseas. The familiar, enquiry-based teaching meant that the transition to Scotch was easier, but also ultimately provided an internationally recognised qualification which would give our son more options in the future.”
Varun & Rupika Khanna
Parents of Raghav and Kartik Khanna (OSC 2017)
“When we migrated to Australia with our twin boys, we were keen that they obtain their education with a global orientation and that their perspective does not get restricted by a relatively inward-looking State curriculum. In WA, only Scotch College was offering the IB Program and for us it was an easy choice to enroll our boys at Scotch right from Middle School. We believe the boys gained immensely from both Middle Years Program and IB Diploma Program and are quite certain that IB contributed significantly to our boys being able to secure admission into the Top 10 Global Universities of their choice in the US and UK. We would recommend the IB Program to all, even if there is no plan to go overseas for university. At the minimum, the overall style of the IB Program makes the student think more broadly and critically and prepares them to engage better with people in an increasingly globalized, competitive and dynamic world.”
Felicity Naylor
Mother of James Naylor-Pratt (OSC 2016)
“Scotch College, the IB Diploma and in particular, the individual and collective IB teachers, were instrumental in the academic and extracurricular successes that James achieved at school, as well as his ongoing achievements at university and in the workplace. Perhaps most importantly, the experiences James had at Scotch have enabled him to be an independent, enthusiastic, engaged and considerate man who continues to strive for success and personal excellence.
I have enormous gratitude and respect for the IB teachers and the Diploma for going beyond nurturing and inspiring my son’s high school learning experience to firmly grounding him in life beyond Scotch College.
I have been sincerely grateful to you, Brendan, for all that you have done for James. When he commenced at Scotch, he was a bright but somewhat disengaged student. Under your care (and Mr Scaife’s), James became engaged, enthusiastic, successful and humble – an all-round great kid who is now an awesome adult. Thank you.”
Darren Pratt
Father of James Naylor-Pratt (OSC 2016)
“I’m not sure the IB is for everyone. It is demanding and calls for organization and academic rigor. But for those up to the task, the rewards are enormous.
For those up to the challenge, studying Theory of Knowledge (TOK) alone is worth the price of admission. TOK requires students to consider the methods, theory and scope of knowledge and the distinction between justified belief and opinion.
What better education could there be in a world where too often professional advice and science is shunned in favor of Dr Google and Broscience? Or to quote Yeats, “Where the best lack all conviction but the worst are filled with passionate intensity.”
Sandra McCowan
Mother of Cameron McCowan (OSC 2012) and Stuart McCowan (OSC 2015)
“The IB Diploma is a course that turns out students who have an outward looking perspective on the world; one open to new ideas and with a sincere and ongoing curiosity about language and culture. The depth and breadth of learning in the programme plants seeds that come to full maturity at the tertiary level. We have witnessed this in both our sons whose genuine and deep interest in their subjects in Years 11 and 12 has set them on interesting and unique paths at University and beyond.”
Claire Bartlett
Mother of Sam Bartlett (OSC 2013)
“The International Baccalaureate allowed for a seamless transition from high school to university and equipped our son with an academic independence that let him study internationally. The most attractive feature of the course is that it is truly multidisciplinary. Despite the fact that subjects are often taught in isolation from one another, this is not how they operate in the real world. The International Baccalaureate’s requirement to undertake subjects from each of the major subject groups doesn’t just teach what you need to know, but also how to apply it contextually. Our son found the Diploma an invaluable life experience and highly rewarding.”