Misplaced Pages

Somerset College

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

Non-denominational Christianity (or nondenominational Christianity ) consists of churches , and individual Christians , which typically distance themselves from the confessionalism or creedalism of other Christian communities by not formally aligning with a specific Christian denomination .

#760239

70-535: Somerset College is an independent, non-denominational Christian day school located in Mudgeeraba , Queensland, Australia. Established in 1983, the college has a non-selective enrolment policy and caters for approximately 1480 students from Pre-Prep to Year 12. Originally constructed in rural farmland in the Gold Coast hinterland , the countryside surrounding the campus has undergone significant urban development since

140-622: A broader network of congregations. Many nondenominational churches can nevertheless be positioned in existing movements, such as Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism , even though they are autonomous and have no formal labels. Nondenominational churches are particularly visible in the megachurches . The neo-charismatic churches often use the term nondenominational to define themselves. Some non-denominational churches identify solely with Christianity. Most "other Christians" in America belong to nondenominational churches. Citing data from

210-562: A clarification of the grading methodology, and free remarking and retesting. Several educators have criticized IB's approach to the 2020 grading. The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation stated it would "scrutinize" the grades. The Norwegian Data Protection Authority asked the IB to provide data under the General Data Protection Regulation . Some argued that using a school's historical data to produce grades

280-511: A form of evangelical Christianity . Nondenominational Christianity first arose in the 18th century through the Stone–Campbell Restoration Movement , with followers organizing themselves simply as " Christians " and " Disciples of Christ ". Congregations in this tradition of nondenominational Christianity often refer to themselves as Churches of Christ . Independent nondenominational churches continued to appear in

350-566: A forum for dialogue." There are currently fifty-six (56) sub-regional associations, including: In 2003, the IB established the IB Fund, incorporated in the United States, to enhance fundraising and keep funds raised separately from operational funds. In 2004, the IB approved a strategic plan to "ensure that programmes and services are of the highest quality" and "to provide access to people who are socio-economically disadvantaged." In 2010 and 2015,

420-429: A gym, indoor hardwood floor courts, outdoor volleyball courts, a ten-lane 400m athletics track as well as new grandstands and clubhouses for the existing pool and tennis complex. Following, Bassingthwaighte’s retirement in 2024, Chris Ivy was appointed headmaster, commencing 2025. The school was also used to record the television serial: H 2 O : Just Add Water , on behalf of Jonathan M. Shiff Productions. According to

490-752: A high-performing schools network (COAR) made up of IB World Schools. In early 2016 thirteen new schools were authorized by the IB as part of this programme. In Ecuador, President Rafael Correa has also committed to improving education in state schools by implementing IB programmes and by January 2016 there were over 200 state schools. With support from local organizations, there are thirteen state IB schools in Russia . In Spain , various models have been implemented (3 types of schools in Spain: public schools, private schools and state funded-private or "concerted" schools) and led to extensive growth with 140 schools. Internationally,

560-718: A host family and attend their billet's school for a couple of weeks. There is also an annual ski trip, typically held in early September, where any student from the Senior School is able to visit Perisher Ski Resort in New South Wales for one week. For most sports Somerset College competes as part of the Associated Private Schools (APS), a league of independent schools in the Gold Coast area. Competitive sports are generally split between summer and winter season, with

630-456: A plan for the expansion of Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate mathematics and science courses, intending to increase the number of AP and IB teachers and the number of students taking AP and IB examinations, as well as tripling the number of students passing those exams. Howard Gardner , a professor of educational psychology at Harvard University , said that the IBDP curriculum

700-490: A result of the leaks. One group dedicated to leaking papers has affirmed the concerns, by restricting the release of English Lang. Lit. leaks to "protect the grade boundaries". Following the examination leaks, the IBO also experienced an alleged security breach in their IT Infrastructure, potentially exposing internal documents and further test papers. Upon inspecting data shared online by the unknown threat actor(s), vx-underground ,

770-402: A small group was formed as the first steering committee. The first buildings opened on 27 January 1983 with 158 students in classes from Year 1 to Year 8. Staff, parents and students helped with the landscaping and laying of turf. The Latin phrase "Deo Confidimus" ("In God, we trust") was chosen as the school motto. By term four of 1983, enrolments had already grown to 248, of which 189 were in

SECTION 10

#1732851738761

840-520: Is "less parochial than most American efforts" and helps students "think critically, synthesize knowledge, reflect on their own thought processes and get their feet wet in interdisciplinary thinking." In 2006, government ministers in the United Kingdom provided funding so that "every local authority in England could have at least one centre offering sixth-formers the chance to do the IB." In 2008, due to

910-548: Is a nonprofit organization, selling its products and services to schools in a system analogous to a franchise network. Schools buy products and services from the IB – assessments, publications, the right to use branding – and in turn schools act as distributors, reselling the products and services to families. The IB maintains its head office in Geneva , Switzerland . Assessment and grading services are located in Cardiff , Wales and

980-1278: Is as follows (Updated 17/10/2024): Somerset College is one of three International Baccalaureate World Schools on the Gold Coast accredited to offer the IB Diploma Programme . It also offers the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), for which it received accreditation in 2006. In June 2006, the college hosted the Asia-Pacific International Baccalaureate Conference. Each year in mid-March, Somerset College hosts its annual Celebration of Literature. The three-day festival features notable authors and poets from around Australia, and attracts around 20,000 school student and adult participants. Past visiting authors have included: Douglas Adams , Paul Jennings , Geoffrey McSkimming , Kate Forsyth , Andy Griffiths , Andrew Daddo , Gretel Killeen and Terry Denton . Somerset College's outdoor education curriculum includes camps for students in Years 6 to 11. Students in

1050-528: The Churches of Christ ; in other cases, nondenominational churches are founded by individual pastors such Calvary Chapel Association established by Chuck Smith . Some non-denominational churches have grown quite recently within networks like Acts 29 . Certain nondenominational churches are associated with various movements in Christendom, such as evangelicalism or Charismatic Christianity , but many adhere to

1120-484: The Cooperative Congressional Election Study and General Social Survey , political scientist and statistician Ryan Burge noted that nondenominational Christians are very similar to Southern Baptists , but with some caveats. Burge writes, "Nondenominational churches are typically younger and more racially diverse than Southern Baptist churches. On religious matters, both groups attend church at

1190-586: The Council of Europe and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). The IB governance is composed of an IB Board of Governors and six committees (access and advancement, audit, education, finance, human resources and governance). The Board of Governors appoints the Director General, sets the strategic direction of the organization, adopts a mission statement, makes policy, oversees

1260-641: The Czech Republic , South Africa , Kazakhstan , Spain, Philippines , Malaysia , Japan , and South Korea . The United States has the largest number of IB programmes (2,010 out of 5,586) offered in both private and public schools. The IB works with governments and non-governmental organizations across the world and has consultative status as a nongovernmental organization (NGO) at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ) and has collaborative relationships with

1330-584: The IB Diploma for students since 1999. The Celebration of Literature, Australia's largest writers festival for children and young adults, is hosted by the college every March. Somerset is affiliated with the Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPSHA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ) and is a founding member of

1400-542: The IB Middle Years Programme New chapter was introduced in September 2014. The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) was piloted in 1996 in 30 primary schools on different continents, and the first PYP school was authorized in 1997, with 87 authorized schools in 43 countries within five years. The IB Career-related Programme (formerly IB Career-related Certificate ) was first offered in 2012. Alec Peterson

1470-585: The International Baccalaureate ( IB ), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva , Switzerland , and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB Diploma Programme and the IB Career-related Programme for students aged 16 to 19, the IB Middle Years Programme for students aged 12 to 16, and the IB Primary Years Programme for children aged 3 to 12. To teach these programmes, schools must be authorized by

SECTION 20

#1732851738761

1540-519: The United States in the course of the 20th century. Nondenominational congregations experienced significant and continuous growth in the 21st century, particularly in the United States. In 2010, there were 35,496 nondenominational churches in the US with over 12 million congregants. If combined into a single group, nondenominational churches collectively represented the third-largest Christian grouping in

1610-421: The subreddit r/pirateIB and other platforms. To date, there have been documents shared for Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, English, Chinese, German, Psychology, Digital Society, Geography, Business Management, Computer Science and Global Politics. Some online forums have been expressing student discontent, especially with concerns on unfair advantages in examinations, with claims of miscommunication from

1680-645: The 18th century through the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement , with followers organizing themselves simply as " Christians " and " Disciples of Christ ". The nondenominational movement saw expansion during the 20th century Jesus movement era, which popularized contemporary Christian music and Christian media within global pop culture . Many nondenominational churches adhere to congregationalist polity , while others are governed by elders. Some nondenominational churches are independent, while others cooperate in loose associations such as

1750-671: The Arnison Building named in his honour. Upon Arnison's retirement, Craig Bassingthwaighte was appointed headmaster in 2009. In 2015, the first Pre-Prep students were admitted into the college. New building developments include the Early Learning Precinct (opened 2009), the Knowledge and Information Precinct (opened 2012), the Student Services Hub for the Senior School (opened 2014) and the new athletic facilities, including

1820-485: The Associated Private Schools of Queensland (APS). Somerset College was officially opened on 16 October 1983 by Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen . Its name is based on the fact the school is located on Somerset Drive, on a location formerly used for dairy farming [1] . Its logo features a Moreton Bay fig tree, which has been on the campus since the school's foundation. The school's founding principal

1890-750: The Dean of Admissions. They are responsible for the key decisions surrounding the day-to-day running of the college. Somerset College offers all three International Baccalaureate programs. The Primary Years Programme (PYP) forms the basis of the curriculum from Pre-Prep to Year 5, providing the essential building blocks of literacy and numeracy with the culminating experience of the PYP Exhibition. The Middle Years Programme (MYP) from Years 6–10 focuses on developing students who are self-directed, self-regulated, independent and autonomous learners. Service requirements provide opportunities for students to be active members of

1960-598: The Heads Council, Regional Councils and the Board. To encourage diversity of gender, culture and geography, there are only three ex officio positions: Director General (non-voting), the chair of the Examining Board and the chair of the Heads Council. Advisory bodies include the Heads Council and Regional Councils. The IB Diploma Programme was described as "a rigorous, off-the-shelf curriculum recognized by universities around

2030-947: The IB Diploma Programme (IBDP). In the mid-1960s, a group of teachers from the International School of Geneva (Ecolint) created the International Schools Examinations Syndicate (ISES), which would later become the International Baccalaureate Office (IBO), followed by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) and then the International Baccalaureate (IB). The IB headquarters were officially established in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1968 for

2100-853: The IB announced a dual exam route for the May 2021 examination: examinations were expected to take place in regions where a written assessment could be "administered safely", while candidates in other regions follow a non-exam "alternative route" based on coursework and predicted grades. This decision was met with stiff backlash as students taking the IB Diploma Programme protested against perceived injustice. Students argued that exams would harm student mental health and well-being as well as possible consequences for university admissions. The IB's dual system approach has also been criticized by exam boards such as Cambridge Assessment International Education , who canceled their IGCSE and international A-level exams. In late April/early May, select IB final exams were leaked to

2170-598: The IB announced a plan that will expand the opportunities for Japanese students to complete the IB curriculum in Japanese. In Malaysia , a project has been developed in response to interest expressed by the Malaysia Ministry of Education (MoE) in working with the IB to implement the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) in select secondary state schools. The Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) signed an agreement with

Somerset College - Misplaced Pages Continue

2240-548: The IB continues to be recognized as innovative, and in 2014, the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) announced the IB Career-related Certificate as a finalist for their annual WISE Awards. However, the IB came under heavy criticism around the world in 2020 for controversial estimated grades, set when COVID-19 precautions obstructed examinations. According to tertiary educational agency 7Acad,

2310-553: The IB in Chicago, found that it made for a stressful school experience but subsequently eased the pressures of university study. A further report by the University of Chicago concluded that Chicago Public School students who completed the IB curriculum were 40% more likely to attend a four-year college, 50% more likely to attend a selective four-year college, and significantly more likely to persist in college than their matched peers outside

2380-603: The IB to widen the options offered to parents and to meet the different needs of students in the United Arab Emirates . In April 2014, The King Faisal Foundation in Saudi Arabia and the IB signed a memorandum of understanding to develop IB programmes, including the IBDP, in up to forty primary and secondary schools, with the goal of intending to develop these schools as centres of excellence as IB World Schools. In Peru , President Ollanta Humala has committed to building

2450-417: The IB's financial management, and ensures autonomy and integrity of the IB Diploma Programme examinations and other student assessments. The structure of its different committees is based on respect, representation and collaboration. The Board of Governors can comprise between 15 and 25 members. Members are elected by the Board on the recommendation of the governance committee and from nominations presented by

2520-416: The IB. A statement from the IBO was published on May 4th, claiming that the organization had discovered a very small number of students engaged in "time zone cheating", further claiming that the cheating wasn't widespread. South China Morning Post rebutted this claim, having discovered over 45,000 downloads of papers. Significant numbers of students have raised concerns about grade boundaries being inflated as

2590-461: The IB. The City of Miami Beach Commission entered into an education compact with Miami-Dade County Public Schools with one of the initiatives of the compact to implement the IB curriculum throughout Miami Beach feeder schools. In some other parts of the world, the International Baccalaureate has been well received. In 2013, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan and

2660-564: The IBDP was reduced from $ 300,000 to $ 100,000 after State Senator Margaret Dayton objected to the IB curriculum, stating, "First, I have never espoused eliminating IB ... I don't want to create 'world citizens' nearly as much as I want to help cultivate American citizens who function well in the world." Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago , meanwhile, believes that IB should be an option for students in Chicago Public Schools. Elizabeth Brackett , reporting on her own experience of studying

2730-487: The IBO was accused of plagiarising some of its confidential examiner marking guides from Misplaced Pages . In March 2020, the IB announced that exams for the May 2020 session had been cancelled as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic . It claimed that the final grades would instead be calculated based on coursework, students' teacher-predicted grades, and historical school data. "Prior to the attribution of final grades, this process

2800-443: The International Baccalaureate. The organization's name and logo were changed in 2007 to reflect new structural arrangements. Consequently, "IB" may now refer to the organization itself, any of the four programmes, or the diploma or certificates awarded at the end of a programme. When Marie-Thérèse Maurette wrote "Educational Techniques for Peace. Do They Exist?" in 1948, she created the framework for what would eventually become

2870-483: The Junior School. This rapid growth proved the need for independent schools on the Gold Coast and secured the college's future. Building projects continued well into the late 1980s. In 1986 Barry Arnison OAM, a foundation staff member and deputy headmaster, was appointed headmaster. He oversaw the first graduating class of Year 12 students in 1987 as well as most of the buildings and facilities that stand today including

Somerset College - Misplaced Pages Continue

2940-591: The Mudgeeraba area. The position of a Senior at Somerset requires a high degree of individual responsibility in upholding the ideals and rules of the college at all times. At the same time, it carries the role of guide and mentor to all members of the college. The Student Leadership Team, comprising all the Captains, has a particular responsibility to fulfil this role as well as their specific area of responsibility. The current leadership positions at Somerset College

3010-690: The Scriptures, lowering the overall religious literacy while increasing the potential for inter-religious misunderstandings and conflict. Steven R. Harmon, a Baptist theologian who supports ecumenism , argues that "there's really no such thing" as a nondenominational church, because "as soon as a supposedly non-denominational church has made decisions about what happens in worship, whom and how they will baptize, how and with what understanding they will celebrate holy communion , what they will teach, who their ministers will be and how they will be ordered, or how they relate to those churches, these decisions have placed

3080-505: The Senior School from Year 9 and above are encouraged to take part in the student exchange programs. Students studying German are able to visit Germany every two years (on the odd years students host German students). Students studying Japanese visit Japan every two year. The Italian trip is available to Year 11 students undertaking ab initio Italian and takes place in the summer holidays before beginning Year 12. The group travels around Italy visiting many historic landmarks and students stay with

3150-774: The United States in 2010, after the Roman Catholic Church and Southern Baptist Convention . In Asia, especially in Singapore and Malaysia , these churches are also more numerous, since the 1990s. Nondenominational churches are by definition not affiliated with any specific denominational stream of Christianity, whether by choice from their foundation or because they separated from their denomination of origin at some point in their history. Like denominational congregations, nondenominational congregations vary in size, worship, and other characteristics. Although independent, many nondenominational congregations choose to affiliate with

3220-655: The church within the stream of a specific type of denominational tradition". Harmon argues that the cause of Christian unity is best served through denominational traditions, since each "has historical connections to the church's catholicity ... and we make progress toward unity when the denominations share their distinctive patterns of catholicity with one another". Presbyterian dogmatic theologian Amy Plantinga Pauw writes that Protestant nondenominational congregations "often seem to lack any acknowledgement of their debts and ties to larger church traditions" and argues that "for now, these non-denominational churches are living off

3290-638: The curriculum centre moved in 2011 to The Hague , Netherlands . Two other offices are located in Washington D.C. , United States and Singapore . The organization is divided into three regional centres: IB Africa, Europe and Middle East (IBAEM), administered from The Hague; IB Americas (IBA), administered from Washington D.C.; and IB Asia-Pacific (IBAP), administered from Singapore. Sub-regional associations "are groups formed by and for IB school practitioners to assist IB schools, teachers and students in their communities—from implementing IB programmes to providing

3360-452: The devaluing of the A-Levels and an increase in the number of students taking the IB exams, then-Children's Secretary Ed Balls abandoned a "flagship Tony Blair pledge to allow children in all areas to study IB." Fears of a "two-tier" education system further dividing education between the rich and the poor emerged as the growth in IB is driven by private schools and sixth-form colleges. While

3430-463: The development and maintenance of the IB Diploma Programme. The objective of this programme was to "provide an internationally acceptable university admissions qualification suitable for the growing mobile population of young people whose parents were part of the world of diplomacy, international and multinational organizations" by offering standardized courses and assessments for students aged 16 to 19. International Baccalaureate North America (IBNA)

3500-569: The diploma mean grade stands at a four-year low of 4.54 points,with total points at a five-year low of 28.51 pts as of 2019. A study published by the University of Cambridge showed that a Cambridge student, who had obtained a score of 41 or more, achieved above-average success while at Cambridge. Students who had received 38 or less, were receiving grades below the average of all Cambridge students. Those that had an IB score of 38 or 39, obtained above-average grades in science, and below-average grades in social studies and humanities. In October 2010,

3570-447: The fundamental theological and spiritual issues that initially drove the division of Christianity into denominations behind a veneer of "Christian unity". He argues that nondenominationalism encourages a descent of Christianity—and indeed, all religions—into comfortable "general moralism" rather than being a focus for facing the complexities of churchgoers' culture and spirituality. Prothero further argues that it also encourages ignorance of

SECTION 50

#1732851738761

3640-532: The greater community and is an essential part of the life at Somerset. In Years 11 and 12 students choose either the IB Diploma Programme or Queensland Certificate of Education both of which allow for tertiary entrance. In June 2006, the college hosted the Asia-Pacific International Baccalaureate conference. All students and most teaching staff at the college are divided up into 5 different houses , each named after prominent families in

3710-620: The initial School Council which was renamed the College Board in 2011. Somerset College is a separately incorporated not for profit company limited by guarantee. The College Board has responsibility for the governance of Somerset College in finances, buildings and grounds, and policy. Its most important task is to appoint the Headmaster to manage the operations of the college. The Board discharges its responsibilities through its regular meetings, including its Committees, and by supporting and monitoring

3780-635: The notable exception of rowing (which operates year-round). Recreational sports are also generally offered in both semesters. Swimming, cross-country and athletics carnivals are held each year at both an inter-house and inter-school level, and are major fixtures of the school sporting calendar. Somerset sport teams are nicknamed the Spartans, and the college mascot Martin 'Marty' the Spartan can often be seen at sporting events. Non-denominational Christian In North America, nondenominational Christianity arose in

3850-577: The number of Diploma Programme state schools has dropped under budget constraints, the new Career-related Programme has seen solid uptake in the UK with 27 schools in Kent alone. In 2006, an attempt was made to eliminate it from a public school in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . Some schools in the United States have eliminated the IBDP due to budgetary reasons and low student participation. In Utah , in 2008, funding for

3920-433: The oligarchy. They all have a stake in it, and none of them have personal incentives other than principled theological convictions to actually hold their friends accountable, so that the incentives all push in the direction of abuse and cover-up rather than in the direction of accountability and exposure.” International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate Organization ( IBO ), more commonly known as

3990-451: The performance of the Headmaster. The chairs of the board are mostly parents, former parents or alumni. The current Chair of the College Board is Tony Hickey. The College Leadership Team (CLT) is made up of key staff members including the Headmaster, Deputy Headmaster, chief operating officer, Head of Senior School, Head of Junior School, Dean of Information Technology, Dean of Middle Years, Dean of Teaching and Learning, Dean of Activities and

4060-575: The reason for the increase in the number of evangelical churches claiming to be nondenominational Christianity. Ryan Burge argues that nondenominational churches are less equipped to monitor or report sexual abuse cases because they lack national organizations to do so. Because of nondenominational churches lack of organizational structure, accountability is minimal. In an article on evangelical clergy sex abuse in The New Republic by Elle Hardy, religious studies scholar Matthew D. Taylor argues that

4130-561: The relative lack of accountability in nondenominational churches attract pastors "who are more megalomaniacal and authoritarian in their personality”. Since nondenominational churches lack a hierarchy to answer to, pastors with authoritarian personalities are given more opportunities to exert power and control over their congregants. Nondenominational preachers claim to have oversight from their boards and mentorship from "spiritual parents", but these are usually people they know. Taylor argues, “They’re incentivized to protect their friends and protect

4200-557: The same rate, yet nondenominationals are more likely to hold a moderate theological position on the Bible than SBC churchgoers. Finally, when it comes to politics it seems that Southern Baptists and nondenominational Christians are very similar. Nondenominational parishioners are slightly more supportive of same-sex marriage and slightly less supportive of abortion rights, but these differences are small." Boston University religion scholar Stephen Prothero argues that nondenominationalism hides

4270-464: The school's foundation. The college is particularly noted for its academic excellence, rating highly in state and national rankings. Since 1997, Somerset is one of only two Queensland schools where the most common OP score among students has been 1. In 2014, 56.2% of its Year 12 students achieved an OP 1–5, the second highest percentage of any graduating class in Queensland. The college has also offered

SECTION 60

#1732851738761

4340-479: The strategic plans were updated after substantial consultation. The vision for the next five years was to more consciously establish the IB as a leader in international education and the Board outlined a vision and four strategic goals with key strategic objectives. Access remains fundamental to the mission of the IB and a variety of initiatives and projects are helping to take it forward in Ecuador , Poland , Romania ,

4410-522: The television series, it is the official school of the four protagonists: Emma, Rikki, Cleo and Bella. As well as the school of the other protagonists. The school was used for all three seasons. The school is divided into the Junior School (Pre Prep–Year 6) and the Senior School (Years 7–12). Both have their separate administration centres with their respective heads being the Head of Junior School and Head of Senior School. The Founders of Somerset College formed

4480-481: The theological capital of more established Christian communities, including those of denominational Protestantism". Pauw considers denominationalism to be a "unifying and conserving force in Christianity, nurturing and carrying forward distinctive theological traditions" (such as Wesleyanism being supported by Methodist denominations). In 2011, American evangelical professor Ed Stetzer attributed to individualism

4550-624: The world" when it was featured in the December 18, 2006, edition of Time titled "How to bring our schools out of the 20th Century". The IBDP was also featured in the summer 2002 edition of American Educator , where Robert Rothman described it as "a good example of an effective, instructionally sound, exam-based system." In the US, in 2006, as part of the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI), President George W. Bush and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings presented

4620-486: Was Clifford Rodney (Rod) Wells. In 1980, Wells moved to the Gold Coast from Sydney with his wife, singer Roslyn (Dunbar) Wells, and obtained farmland belonging to property developer John Jenkins for a $ 1 deposit. For 12 months, Wells conducted feasibility studies, had meetings with the Queensland Education Department and held public meetings to establish financial, educational and community support. In 1981,

4690-510: Was IB's first director general (1968–1977), followed by Gérard Renaud (1977–1983), Roger Peel (1983–1998), Derek Blackman (1998–1999), George Walker (1999–2005), Jeffrey Beard (2006–2013) and Siva Kumari (2013–2021). As of May 2021, Olli-Pekka Heinonen , a Finnish politician and director of the Finnish National Agency of Education, was selected by the board of directors to serve as director general, replacing Siva Kumari. The IB

4760-503: Was established in 1975 by Peter Nehr, International Baccalaureate Africa, Europe and Middle-East (IBAEM) in 1986, and International Baccalaureate Asia Pacific (IBAP) during the same period. The International Baccalaureate now functions as a global organization with global centers in Geneva, Washington D.C., The Hague, Cardiff and Singapore. The IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) was first offered in 1994. Within five years, 51 countries had MYP schools. A revised MYP programme, referred to as

4830-469: Was subjected to rigorous testing by educational statistical specialists to ensure our methods were robust. It was also checked against the last five years' sets of results data," an IB spokesman said. In July 2020, the IB released its results for the Diploma Programme and Career-related Programme candidates enrolled in the May 2020 session. Over 17,000 signatories signed an online petition calling for

4900-496: Was unfair to black or low-income students, or students from smaller schools. Others complained about the lack of transparency and fair process of the grades' appeal process. In August 2020, amidst the continuing coronavirus pandemic, the IB announced a series of comprehensive amendments to its scheduled examinations in May 2021. They were inclusive of a few assessment components being discounted (for select subjects), and others being revised in length or syllabi. On 4 February 2021,

#760239