THE BEGINNINGS OF THE MYP

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August 3, 2022

For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, an independent, Catholic, International Baccalaureate school, please visit the admissions section of our website here.

International Baccalaureate celebrated the 25th year of its Middle Years Program in 2019. An article in IB World magazine, the official publication of the IB, discusses the origins of the MYP, which began in East Africa as a "pre-Diploma Program" curriculum promoted by three different international schools on the continent.

Notre Dame introduced the IB-MYP in 2009 for its sixth-through-10th-grade students as a complement to the IB-Diploma Program, which was brought into the school in 2007 for juniors and seniors.

(Republished with permission.)

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As International Baccalaureate celebrated 25 years since adopting the MYP, David Ochieng at UWC East Africa School shared how the idea for the program started back in Tanzania in the 1970s.

Not many may know, but the International School Moshi (ISM), now known as UWC East Africa, in Tanzania, was instrumental in the development of the Middle Years Program (MYP). It was also the first school in Africa to offer the IB Diploma Program (DP). It all started in the late 1970s. 

ISM wanted a curriculum that would act as a pre-DP, two-year course, and include skills that promoted ‘learning how to learn’ and not ‘regurgitation’ of knowledge. The headmaster at the time, Lister Hannah, approached the headmasters of the International School of Tanganyika, International School of Lusaka and the International School of Kenya – they were considering introducing the DP – and asked if they would be interested in a pre-DP curriculum, too.

They were all interested. The idea was officially endorsed at the 1978 Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA) conference. The IB was approached and recommended that the idea be proposed to the International Schools Association (ISA), a nonprofit organization. 

Fast forward two years later, the ‘pre-DP middle years initiative’ was a major focus at the ISA annual conference. It was here that the initiative emerged onto the international curriculum domain, and became part of a more global agenda. Over the next two years, widespread discussion embraced the decision to develop a five-year curriculum after primary school, which would facilitate a coherent transition to the DP. The IB adopted the MYP in 1994. However, ISM did not offer the MYP until 10 years later. This is because teaching was primarily geared towards preparation for IGCSE exams. But it later realized that while the IGCSE curriculum developed student knowledge effectively, it was entirely examination oriented. It did not develop the skills and attitudes students needed to succeed in the DP. 

From Keiron White, former head of campus: “It was felt that ISM students would benefit from an externally structured curriculum framework throughout secondary; and from the wider range of assessment used in the MYP. This encouraged more holistic thinking and the development of a much greater variety of skills. The MYP also was seen as providing a continuum from the Primary Years Program (PYP) to the DP.”

Thinking beyond examinations 

ISM students have benefited considerably by switching to the MYP. “Students are immersed in critical thinking, reflection and collaborative skills. They develop international mindedness by looking at global issues deciphered through resources within their local contexts,” said David Ochieng, MYP Coordinator. 

“There is a greater emphasis on criteria-related assessment of student work, a wider range of assessment tasks and techniques, interdisciplinary learning and a climate of collaboration between students, parents and teachers," he added.

Teachers are no longer just teaching towards a final examination, but are assessing students in effective ways over much longer periods of time. “Educators have the freedom to teach the knowledge, skills and attitudes, which they believe students need for the future, using various strategies while being cognizant of different learning styles. This is well supported by the MYP structure,” said Ochieng.

But there were some difficulties in its implementation. The majority welcomed the MYP, but teachers new to the program found it confusing. And because many parents in Tanzania focus heavily on examinations, it was a challenge persuading them that students can be assessed in a variety of other ways. White said: “We invested considerable time and energy in to getting our community on board. We are thankful that with time we won their support.”

Experiential learning

Ochieng also said the Personal Project; collaboration; interdisciplinary learning; and service learning are the most unique and valuable aspects of the MYP. 

At first, interdisciplinary and service learning were just seen as opportunities for school trips. However, these experiences turned out to be a “purposeful integration of concepts from different subjects within challenging, but fulfilling, learning experiences.”

Ochieng added that “students plan, reflect and take action appropriately, making their learning quite experiential. They learn and are able to brainstorm, discuss, collaborate and transfer concepts, knowledge and skills with ease across subjects, not to mention the thrill of giving back to the community. These two aspects provoke more natural interdisciplinary collaboration.”

Confident and curious students 

UWC East Africa now hosts international student camps over most summer breaks, and students volunteer to assist. They have learned collaboration, reflection, problem solving, as well as critical- and creative-thinking skills. 

Students at UWC East Africa enjoy holistic and authentic learning, said Ochieng. “Since the program is inquiry-based, concept-driven and interdisciplinary, it creates confident and curious students with a thirst for lifelong learning.” 

He also said that due to links between academic subjects and real-world contexts, "both teachers and students establish meaningful connections with local and global communities, thus becoming global citizens. Over and above these, students exhibit essential values as exemplified through the IB learner profile attributes.”

For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, an independent, Catholic, International Baccalaureate school, please visit the admissions section of our website here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.