21 months silence broken as Minns government confirms International Baccalaureate for NSW public schools

NSW’s ban on Year 12 public school students sitting the globally recognised International Baccalaureate has finally been overturned, with the Minns government breaking 21 months of silence on the election promise.

Dubbo’s Central West Leadership Academy Year 12 graduates Noah Randell, Finn Randell and George Ashcroft have just complete the IB. They’re among only a handful of students outside Sydney to do so. Picture: Hannah Hodgkinson

The Minns government has finally fulfilled its election promise to give NSW public school pupils the chance to study the International Baccalaureate (IB) instead of the HSC, with regional school leaders claiming it will give clever bush kids a better shot at university.

After questions from The Saturday Telegraph about the pledge made almost two years ago, Education Minister Prue Car on Friday confirmed NSW public schools will be allowed to register to offer the IB from next week.

Run by an international organisation and sat by students across the globe, the IB previously was only offered by private schools, with public schools confined to the Higher School Certificate (HSC).

Public schools who offer the IB must also still offer the HSC, with Ms Car claiming hopeful schools would have to go through “rigorous accreditation processes”.

“While offering a new program like IB isn’t an easy process, interested schools can now consider it,” she said.

Education Minister Prue Car confirmed public schools will be able to submit an expression of interest to the Department from next Wednesday. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Public schools will have Department of Education support in making their application to the IB Organisation and training staff to deliver the course, but will need to be authorised individually.

The IB includes a 4000-word extended essay, at least 100 hours of study in the “theory of knowledge”, and students must also study a language other than English, mathematics, at least one science subject and at least one humanities course.

Schools and families have been waiting for more detail about the policy since before the 2023 state election. During the campaign, now Premier Chris Minns promised to overturn the ban. Picture: NewsWire/ Monique Harmer

Students graduate with an equivalent to an ATAR score, which can be used for university entry.

School selection consultant Paul O’Shannassy warned the IB “is not a course for the battlers” but said its global credibility had prompted families to move from Sydney to Melbourne as it is run there by some government schools.

“There’s definitely a market for both school (systems) to run it – I’m being asked about it all the time,” he said.

“However, is there is a cost, and there is an accreditation process – there’s a whole lot of compliance and checks and balances, because you have to be offering the exact same thing as everyone else in the world.”

Central West Leadership Academy principal Mandi Randell with her first crop of IB Diploma Programme graduates Noah Randell, George Ashcroft and Finn Randell. Picture: Hannah Hodgkinson

Dubbo-based Central West Leadership Academy is the only school outside Sydney to exclusively run the IB, with the first Year 12 cohort to complete the program expecting their results are on Monday.

Founding principal Mandi Randell, who taught HSC English for 16 years including at Sydney’s Newington College, said the opportunity for public schools to offer the IB could spell “real, distinct advantages” for bush kids.

“I can get anybody to give me a Band 5 in Hamlet just by spitting back what I’ve told them, but you can’t do that in IB,” she said.

“I think the IB is the ideal way to help regional students really be on a more equal footing with that of their city peers (when they get to university).”

Ms Randell believes more regional schools - including public schools - should offer the IB to give clever students a more well-rounded education. Picture: Hannah Hodgkinson

All of the school’s IB students have early entry to university, with Ms Randell’s sons Noah and Finn among the graduating class.

Noah declared students should “have the choice” to study the IB or HSC.

“It is challenging, and it’s designed to be challenging,” Noah said.

“I think it’s very important for kids to be prepared for the … very demanding professional world out there, understanding deadlines and the rigour it requires.”