NIST International School

NIST International School
Address
36 Sukhumvit Soi 15 Watthana Bangkok, 10110, Thailand
Coordinates	13°44′50.20″N 100°33′33.02″E / 13.7472778°N 100.5591722°E / 13.7472778; 100.5591722Coordinates: 13°44′50.20″N 100°33′33.02″E / 13.7472778°N 100.5591722°E / 13.7472778; 100.5591722
Information
School type	Independent, International
Established	1992
CEEB Code	695270
Head of School	James MacDonald
Grades	Nursery - Year 13 (Grade 12)
Enrollment	1560
Average class size	25 students
Student to teacher ratio	10:1
Education system	IB
Language	English
Campus	Urban
Colour(s)	Dark Blue      White
Athletics	BISAC, SEASAC
Mascot	Falcon
Accreditation(s)	Council of International Schools (CIS), New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), Ministry of Education (Thailand), The Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (ONESQA]
Annual tuition	฿402,000 - ฿732,000 ($12,200 - $22,250)
Affiliations	East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS), International Schools Association of Thailand (ISAT)
Website	NIST International School

NIST International School is an international school located in Watthana District, Bangkok, Thailand.^[1] A full IB World School, it welcomes over 1,500 students of over 50 nationalities. As one of the only not-for-profit international schools in Thailand, NIST is operated by the Foundation for International Education (FIE).

History

NIST opened in August, 1992 on the previous campus of International School Bangkok. The school was established with the support of the United Nations and is not tied to any national curriculum or approach. Originally comprising approximately 500 students, it has since grown to over 1,500. The school launched the IB Diploma Programme in 1996 and saw off its first group of graduates in 1997. In 1998 it received dual accreditation through the Council of International Schools^[2] and New England Association of Schools and Colleges. NIST is also accredited by Thailand's Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment.

NIST is currently operated by a non-profit organization, the Foundation for International Education (FIE). The FIE chooses a board of directors, elected from the parent body. The primary task of the board of directors is to select the Head of School. The current Head of School, James MacDonald, joined NIST after the 2012-2013 school year. The NIST Parent-Teacher Association (NIPTA), established in 1998, also plays a role the school's development.

Campus

NIST's campus is located in downtown Bangkok near Asok BTS Station, one of Bangkok's commercial hubs. In 2000 the school presented its development plan and prepared to commence construction. As of 2014, it has expanded its physical facilities and now possesses dedicated buildings for the early years, elementary and secondary sections. Additionally, it includes a sports complex, creative arts building and two additional multi-purpose buildings. A fourth multi-purpose building is currently under construction.

Arts facilities include a 300-seat theatre, multiple visual arts studios, multiple dance studios, multiple instrumental and vocal music rooms, private practice rooms and a recording studio. The sports complex includes a FIFA-certified football pitch, gymnastics studio, sports hall with multiple basketball and volleyball courts, swimming pool, two tennis courts, and multiple classrooms

Curriculum

NIST is a licensed IB World School that runs all three academic programs of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO):^[3] the Primary Years Program (PYP) for students from 3–11, the Middle Years Program (MYP) for students from 11–16 and the IB Diploma Program (IBDP) for those from 16–18. All classes, with the exception of second language courses, are taught in English.

In line with the IB philosophy, the school adopts an academic approach that emphasizes collaboration, hands-on learning and exploration. Students learn both on and off campus through trips, internships, As compulsory part of the curriculum, all NIST students must also learn a language other than English. Choices include Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Swedish and Thai.

Students in Year 12 and Year 13 have the option of pursuing the full IB Diploma Programme, taking individual IB courses and earning IB certificates, or taking any combination of NIST high school courses and IB courses. Regardless of the option they select, they must additionally meet community service requirements. All students who successfully complete the upper secondary curriculum receive their high school diplomas, and those who receive satisfactory grades on their IB examinations receive IB certificates and/or the IB Diploma.

NIST graduates have been accepted to top-ranked universities worldwide, among them:

• Harvard University
• National Taiwan University
• Princeton University
• Seoul National University
• Stanford University
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of Cambridge
• University of Oxford
• University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Yale University

Extra-curricular Activities

NIST was one of the founding members of the Southeast Asian Schools Athletic Conference (SEASAC), an association of twelve major international schools in Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar and Indonesia. SEASAC events include sports, arts and academic competitions. NIST's athletic teams also compete in the Bangkok International Schools Athletic Conference (BISAC). NIST has won numerous awards in basketball, volleyball, soccer and softball at the varsity level, frequently finishing first in local and international tournaments, both for girls and boys. NIST also has varsity teams for tennis, badminton, swimming, softball and rugby. All NIST teams are the Falcons, named for the school mascot, and wear blue uniforms highlighted with silver, grey and/or white. Because of NIST's indoor gymnasium facilities and its outdoor swimming pool, the school frequently hosts local and international volleyball, basketball, badminton and swimming competitions.

External links

• NIST Official website

References