International Baccalaureate

The students design their own curriculum. The Diploma candidates are required to select one subject from each of the six groups.

IBD programme at GJH is currently running the following courses in of the six groups of the IB Diploma subjects, at both high and standard levels:

• Group One: English A1 (SL, HL), Slovak A1 (SL, HL), Russian A1 (HL), German A1 (HL)
• Group Two: English B (HL), French B (SL, HL), German B (SL, HL),
• Group Three: Economics (SL, HL), History (SL, HL), Psychology (SL, HL)
• Group Four: Biology (SL, HL), Chemistry (SL, HL), Physics (SL, HL)
• Group Five: Mathematics (SL, HL), Computer Science (SL, HL),
• Group Six: Electives – a choice of any of the above subjects.

At least three and not more than four subjects are taken at Higher Level (HL), the others at Subsidiary or Standard Level (SL). HL courses represent 320 teaching hours, SL courses cover 200 hours over the two-year course. Each of the six subjects chosen by a student form a part of the IB Diploma Final Examinations.

The grading system is different from the Slovak Notational Curriculum. IB grading, in all the subjects, is criterion-referenced which means that each student’s performance is measured against well-defined levels of achievement ranging from 7 (maximum mark) to 1 (minimum mark).

Successful diploma candidates meet other three requirements in addition to the six subjects:

• The interdisciplinary Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course is designed to develop coherent approach to learning which transcends and unifies the academic areas and encourages appreciation of other cultural perspectives. The course offers opportunity to contemplate the importance, aims and means of human knowledge. As a part of the course, TOK requires an essay, which is externally assessed.
• The Extended Essay of some 4,000 words offers the opportunity to investigate a topic of special interest and acquaints students with the independent research and writing skills expected at university.
• Every student is also required to develop his or her creativity, keep up his or her physical fitness and participate in community service work which form the three integral parts of a special programme Creativity, Action, Service (CAS). One afternoon a week is reserved for the CAS programme. Our students happily help various schools and institutions, such as schools and residential homes for mentally and physically challenged people, or schools for children with speech and vision impairments.

The language of instruction is English. As a result, the students sit their final exams in all six selected subjects at specified level also in English. As a rule, the Final Examinations take place in May for the duration of approx. three weeks. The quality of candidates’ work is externally assessed by a team of experienced examiners worldwide. The Curriculum and Assessment Centre in Cardiff, UK is responsible for curricula development and setting standards of examination papers in particular subjects which guarantees utmost objectivity and comparability of examination results worldwide. The IB Diploma is officially recognised by the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic which puts it on a par with the Slovak National Certificate of Secondary Education.

Having successfully completed the Diploma programme, the candidate becomes a holder of prestigious bilingual IB Diploma. The Examination Board awards Diploma to the candidates whose total mark is not lower than 24, on condition that none of the integral requirements of the IB Diploma programme was neglected.

IB Diploma holders are admitted to universities in more than 110 countries worldwide, including the Slovak Republic. The Diploma is fully recognised without any further legalisation. Statistical records show that IB graduates rank among the best students at western universities.

Our contacts with schools abroad

• Student exchange programmes in the past years: Maribor (Slovenia), Duino (Italy)
• International competitions and meetings: Quanta (India), Young Physicists’ Tournament – International competition (Finland), Model United Nations Conferences – WrocMUN, HarvardMUN, LiMUN, MUNISH and MostarMUN (Poland, USA, United Kingdom, Netherlands and Bosnia respectively), Debate Clubs Competitions (South Africa, Singapore, South Korea)
• Model United Nations Conference in Bratislava – BratMUN – each year since 2001
• IB teaching staff takes part in international workshops and teacher training seminars.
• Gymnázium Jura Hronca has held two international workshops in its short history