Starting September, the German European School Manila (GESM) is going to offer the highly reputed Career-related Programme (CP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB) for Grades 11 and 12 – the very first to do so in the Philippines.
“We are proud and happy to be the first and only school in the country to offer this programme. The International Baccalaureate is known worldwide, but this new addition to our curriculum is indeed special because it will let our students take college-level courses in Grades 11 and 12 already.” explained Christoph-Boris Frank, GESM Head of School.
The CP is designed for senior high school students who plan to develop work-ready competencies before stepping into tertiary education. At the GESM, these competencies will involve a whole range of fields in design and hospitality. In partnership with the prestigious US-based Savannah College of Arts and Design (SCAD) and Enderun Colleges, the GESM will be able to offer courses in the fields of graphic design, game development, hospitality management, fashion management and digital media to name a few.
The IBCP concludes with an IB-accredited high school diploma, widely accepted globally and — in the case of skills-oriented tertiary educational institutions — even preferred.
“In several cases in Canada and the US, students who finish the CP are admitted straight into the second year of university. The programme affords them one full year of college even before they start. And that’s just one very obvious advantage.” said Santanu Bhowmik, who will head the implementation of the CP at the GESM. “It is also wrong to look at IB’s Career-related Programme as a vocational alternative. If one looks at the curriculum framework, it is actually just like the IBDP, but refocused on a particular field that the student choses.”
First in the Philippines
While most Filipinos look at skills- and career-oriented training as second-rate to traditional academics, the benefits of having competent programmes for such trainings cannot be understated. Germany sets a good example in this regard, with an increasing number of its highly skilled workforce going through the dual system of a high – level education and supervised on-the-job training.
“We hope that with the introduction of this programme in the Philippines, that more families will see that a career-oriented, high – level education right during high school gives students a great advantage. The Philippines is famous for its skilled workforce, Filipino talent is sought out in hotels, hospitals, and many other industries around the world. We believe it’s about time this international programme is offered here.” added Frank.
“Some children know exactly what they want to be when they grow up. Designers, hoteliers, chefs… When these talents manifest early, we need to fuel them. And IB’s Career-related Programme is the best way how.”
For more information about the GESM and its programmes, please email admission@gesm.org.
