It is an honour to share that the Canadian International School of Phnom Penh (CIS) is officially an International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) school and will offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). Our first cohort of Grade 11 students will undertake the two-year programme beginning in August 2021. 

“I am happy to announce that CIS has been authorized to deliver the IB Diploma Programme, this is the culmination of nearly three years of work, and fulfills a commitment made to our students, parents, and school community.”  

Head of School Mr. Jason Caruana. 

The two-year IBDP is a challenging and balanced pre-university educational program that is recognized around the world. High school students will be able to pursue the IBDP in conjunction with their Alberta* coursework. Depending on students’ chosen learning pathways, CIS may award the following qualifications: 

  1. IB Diploma and Alberta (Canada) High School Diploma;  
  2. Alberta High School Diploma with IB courses; or  
  3. the Alberta High School Diploma.  

According to CIS IB/Curriculum Coordinator Mr. Tony George, the school aims “to combine the best of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme with the best of the Alberta High School Diploma to give students a high school programme that provides the breadth and depth necessary for them to have the necessary experience to prepare them for university and beyond.” 

All faculty who will be guiding learners in the IBDP have received IB teacher training. In  addition to science, math, English, an additional language and social studies, IBDP students are required to take three core courses: Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS), Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge.

  • The CAS program will expose learners to new experiences outside the classroom, develop leadership potential, and promote an ethos of service.  
  • The Extended Essay is an independent piece of research carried out within one of the student’s subjects, answering a research question of their own devising. They are supported in this endeavour by a supervisor, who is a teacher at the school.
  • Theory of Knowledge is an interdisciplinary course that ties together students’ learning by attempting to answer the big question: “How do we know?”. This allows students to compare and contrast different approaches to the construction of knowledge in different subject areas.

We congratulate the CIS Leadership Team, Mr. Tony George and the many faculty members who supported our application for IBDP authorization. CIS looks forward to the successes of our first IBDP cohort,  and to continuing to provide world-renowned education to all students who enter the school gates. 

For information about the IBDP, please email our IB Coordinator Tony George – tony.george@cisp.edu.kh. 

*  CIS follows the Alberta curriculum, a world-renowned inquiry-based curriculum developed by the Government of Alberta, Canada. CIS’s accreditation is reviewed and renewed by the Government of Alberta each year.