Learning

The Vientiane International School challenges, inspires and empowers students to develop their unique potential in our changing world.

Our student's curriculum and co-curricular activities demonstrate our commitment of ensuring that our program is balanced across social, emotional, intellectual and physical growth.

To achieve this objective, VIS offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program for students aged 3 and up. VIS is the only school in the Lao PDR that is accredited with the IB and is one of only 156 schools worldwide that offer all three IB programs.

• The Primary Years Program (PYP) is for students aged 3 to 12 which focuses on the development of the whole child in the classroom and in the world outside.
• The Middle Years Program (MYP) is for students aged 11 to 16 which provides a framework of academic challenge and life skills through embracing and transcending traditional school subjects.
• The Diploma Program (DP) is for students aged 16 and up. It is a demanding two-year curriculum that meets the needs of motivated, engaged students, and leads to a qualification that is recognized by leading universities around the world.

The IB offers international education which is defined according to the following criteria:

• Developing citizens of the world in relation to culture, language and learning to live together
• Building and reinforcing students' sense of identity and cultural awareness
• Fostering students' recognition and development of universal human values
• Stimulating curiosity and inquiry in order to foster a spirit of discovery and enjoyment of learning
• Equipping students with the skills to learn and acquire knowledge, individually or collaboratively, and to apply these skills and knowledge accordingly across a broad range of areas
• Providing international content while responding to local requirements and interests
• Encouraging diversity and flexibility in teaching methods
• Providing appropriate forms of assessment and international benchmarking

The VIS values are complemented by the IB Learner Profile.  As an internationally-minded community of learners, our students are becoming inquirers, critical thinkers, communicators, risk-takers, knowledgable, principled, caring, open-minded, well-balanced and reflective.

Intercultural Learning plays a central role in a VIS students' education.  It helps students develop appreciation, empathy and respect for different cultures, opinions and perspectives.  It also develops an understanding of ones self and others while instilling the values, attitudes, skills and knowledge to become globally-engaged citizens.