16) Can our students achieve their full potential when they are forced to do subjects they are either not talented at or worse have no interest in (many parents will relate to trying to force a teenager to do something they do not want to do!)
Why are we changing a system that isn't "broken"?
17) ESF's desire for change from the A/S system appears to have little to do with criticism for it. Very few would argue against the fact that the current A/S system prepares students very well for University and their future. Therefore if the current system is not broken as stated, then why are the ESF trying to change it?
18)There are concerns that there are too many students achieving high grades at A-Level, however is it fair to award students lower grades solely because society dictates we can only have a certain percentage of A's? Ironic considering all schools aim for high percentages.
19) It is clear that students that go through ESF schools do well and are pushed to the best of their abilities, so many are asking why there is a need to change the system.
Certain examinations based on regurgitation of facts
20) The examination papers for subjects such as geography, as confirmed by teachers who have sighted them, do not encourage critical thinking or independent thoughts. Instead they are based upon regurgitation of facts, something which could well be the case for the majority of the IB exam papers (we cannot confirm this as only certain teachers have obtained copies of past IB exam papers). Is this a step backwards to parrot fashion learning? Draw your own conclusion.
21) There were students at Sha Tin (which ran IB in a pilot programme) who disliked the IB so much that they stayed back a year so as to redo their last two years on the A level system. One of these student's sisters is currently following the A-level programme at another ESF school and is having no such problems. This year is the final year where both systems will run at Sha Tin. We know some children switched from IB to A/S this term. Why?
22) If the ESF converts all their schools to IB then there will be no such flexibility for our students like there was for the Sha Tin students.
Opinions of teacher's not shared by ESF
23) The ESF has told the parents nothing of the teacher's opinions. In fact, NUMEROUS teachers have said when asked that it is up to the parents, that we must back them up to prevent conversion to IB. It has been asked by a number of parents of what this says for "democracy" in the ESF systems. Are the teachers too afraid to question or rock the boat because of the consequences?
24) How did this whole desire to convert to the IB start, the ESF has never told the parents where their true motives lie. They have spent many years perfecting the A-level system and now that it is finally completely fine-tuned they want to change and disrupt the system again.
How will the weaker students cope?
25) In totally IB schools the IB "selection" occurs as early as p5 and often any student deemed unable to cope with the rigorous demands of an IB system is excluded from it. This is definitely the case in one non-ESF international school. What will happen to the students whose talents lie in only one or two areas if there is no ESF school to offer an alternative?
26) It must be noted that the ESF is leaving no choice for many students who are not natural "all rounders".
Students learn by one method and then must adjust to another in their toughest final two years of high school
27) The ESF wants to keep GCSE's and therefore they will not be instigating the IB middle year programme training (11 to 15 year olds)l. The ESF expects their students to be able to jump from one type of system that trains you to think in one way during years 10 and 11 and then move straight away to a completely different system with new learning methods and skills.in years 12 and 13.
The HUGE costs of IB
28) The setting up cost of IB are huge. The school libraires will have to be restocked to meet IB requirements, the higher staffing costs due to the large number of core subjects such as English and maths (staff are needed to teach up to four levels of subjects such as maths), the costs of new documents, books, training programmes for the staff etc.
29) The running costs of IB are much larger. New staff, documents, books are needed every year etc.
30) Parents must pay a registration fee per pupil that undertakes IB
31) Either the ESF is planning to raise school fees or they have been saving for the IB for a significant period of time. If we have a perfectly acceptable education system now why would we want to convert to another which will cost us much more. And if the ESF has enough money for this change without raising fees then this suggests that they have been planning for this for a significant period of time and therefore obtaining parent support is not to aid in their decision but, as a number of parents have put it, for 'show'.