Woodcroft College at Morphett Vale scraps International Baccalaureate Diploma program

Another top Adelaide private school has ditched the international diploma, saying its students are “voting with their feet”.

A third Adelaide private school has ditched a much-lauded international education diploma, saying students achieve better results with the state-based system.

Woodcroft College principal Shannon Warren said students were “voting with their feet” by choosing to do SACE, rather than the two-year International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma.

Ms Warren said the Anglican early learning to Year 12 school at Morphett Vale had decided to stop offering the Swiss-based educational program at the end of the school year.

“Students have a much better chance of getting accepted into a top-ranked university if they do well in the SACE than if they achieve ‘average’ results in the IB,” she said.

Ms Warren said this was becoming more common as students were offered courses at universities based on their SACE results, rather than having to wait for ATAR results in Year 12.

Secondary students are opting to use SACE to gain entry into university, rather than the International Baccalaureate.

“Despite our best efforts, students are voting with their feet and the majority are studying SACE,” she said.

“In fact our best academic results for students come from those studying SACE.”

Ms Warren was speaking following the decision by two other private schools, Seymour College and Walford College, to cease offering the IB.

“The IB encourages students to spend the final two years of education focusing on optimising their rank to the exclusion of developing broader capabilities for the future,” she said.

“The SACE does the opposite.

“The SACE is much more flexible – it can be broad, or it can be narrow to suit a student who really wishes to specialise.”

Ms Warren said while the IB had been widely celebrated, it was “not a one size fits all program”.

“No such thing exists,” she said.

“The IB does not guarantee students admission into a university of choice, especially if they struggle throughout the two years of study.”

Ms Warren said the IB “no longer matches the majority of students’ long-term goals”.

“More than anything, it is important for our students to find a curriculum that will help them enjoy what they learn, because above all else, universities want passionate students, whether they are IB graduates or not,” she said.

One problem was that students who began the IB but did not complete the course “can find themselves in academic limbo and in catch up mode if they change their minds”.

“We are experiencing a large attrition rate between Year 11 and 12 as students experience ‘curriculum regret’,” said Ms Warren.

Evelline Nkombera, Devika Mukherjee, Ella Dixon and Andrew Jenke, at the SACE merit ceremony, on May 19th, 2022, at Government House in Adelaide. Picture: Tom Huntley

Another issue was a high “fail factor” with the IB.

“Whereas all students are generally awarded the SACE, a student can fail to receive an IB diploma,” said Ms Warren.

“Students must score a minimum 24 points to receive the formal qualification and an ATAR equivalent.

“But they must also score at least Grade 4 in each of their higher level subjects.

“They cannot score a single Grade 1, nor the bottom mark in either the extended essay or theory of knowledge subject.”

Ms Warren said students had to invest more time in the IB compared to SACE subjects while there also was a compulsory requirement to study a foreign language.

Five private schools – Mercedes, Pembroke, Prince Alfred College, St Peter’s Girls’ School, St Peter’s College – and five public schools – Norwood International, Aberfoyle Park, Glenunga International, Roma Mitchell, Unley – plan to keep offering the IB.

International Baccalaureate’s Asia-Pacific program leader Gabrielle Walldorf-Davis did not respond to a request for comment.

Originally published as Woodcroft College at Morphett Vale scraps International Baccalaureate Diploma program