Dubai, 4 October 2009: Taaleem were delighted to have been chosen by the International Baccalaureate as host for the largest gathering of IB educators to date in the United Arab Emirates.  From 1st to 3rd October, Uptown School and Uptown High School in Dubai, both IB World Schools, saw over 250 local and international delegates attending 'In Cooperation with the International Baccalaureate' Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programme workshops covering subjects such as Arabic, 3 to 5 year olds in the PYP, Maths Studies, Business & Management and Physics, just to name a few.

Ziad Azzam, Chief Executive Officer Taaleem said: "This is the first time Taaleem has been selected by the International Baccalaureate to deliver training and we are proud that our reputation has grown within such a short time with international bodies such as the International Baccalaureate to awarded this recognition and responsibility"

Diploma Programme workshops were conducted at Uptown High School, an IB World School, by IBICUS, one of the leading IB training companies. IBICUS specialise in providing teaching, advice and information on the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) and work in close cooperation with the IB Organisation in Geneva, which ensures the rigorous standards and quality of the workshops.

The first day ended with a reception held at Uptown High School for all delegates and saw Dr Samia Al Farra, Taaleem's Chief Education Officer and household name on the IB circuit being a founding member of the Middle East International Baccalaureate Association (MEIBA), welcoming the delegates.

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About Taaleem:
Taaleem - which means 'education' in Arabic - is a Dubai-based school management organisation established in 2004 by an international team of education experts.  It operates early childhood, primary and secondary schools, all of which are tailored to meet the specific educational needs of the communities in which they are based.  Taaleem schools therefore offer a range of top international curricula including British, International Baccalaureate and American programmes, as well as an innovative, multi-lingual Early Childhood curriculum.  Taaleem has the following schools in the UAE: Al-Mizhar American Academy for Girls, The Children's Garden, Dubai British School, Greenfield Community School, My Nursery, Uptown School (IB World School), Uptown High School (IB World School) and Raha International School (IB World School) in Abu Dhabi.

About the International Baccalaureate:
The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.  To this end the organisation works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

The IB diploma is a prestigious international pre-university qualification and is recognised by universities and governments throughout the world. It has been in existence for forty years and the IB programmes are now offered in 2,456 IB World Schools in 131 countries to approximately 500,000 students (Dec 08 figures).

IB students study for the IB Diploma in the last two years of secondary school. All Diploma students take six subjects and maintain the study of a breadth of disciplines as well as studying in depth. Usually, students take a literature course in their own language, another modern or classical language, a science and a maths course, a humanities and an arts course. Students take three subjects at Higher Level and three at Standard Level and a wide choice of subjects is offered. In addition, all students take the Diploma core in which they complete a research paper on a topic of their choice (extended essay), take a course in theory of knowledge (ToK) and complete a programme of creativity, action and service (CAS). The award of the Diploma is recognition that students have completed all parts of the programme and marks a high level of achievement. www.ibo.org

About IBICUS
IBICUS is a company which specialises in providing teaching, advice and information on the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). They work in close cooperation with the IB Organisation in Geneva, which ensures the rigorous standards and quality of our workshops. www.ibicus.org

For more information please contact:   
Britta Buche
Taaleem
Tel:  04 349 8806 or  050 655 9519
E-mail: bbuche@taaleem.ae
Website: www.taaleem.ae 

© Press Release 2009