NIST International School

NIST International School (Thai: โรงเรียนนานาชาตินิสท์, RTGSRong Rian Nana Chat Nit) is an international school located in the Watthana District of Bangkok, Thailand.[1] It was established in 1992 with support and guidance from the Bangkok-based branch of the United Nations. A full International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, NIST welcomes more than 1,800 students of over 75 nationalities. As one of the only not-for-profit international schools in Thailand, it is governed by the parent-elected NIST International School Foundation.

NIST International School
โรงเรียนนานาชาตินิสท์
Address
Map
36 Sukhumvit Soi 15


,
10110

Thailand
Coordinates13°44′50.20″N 100°33′33.02″E / 13.7472778°N 100.5591722°E / 13.7472778; 100.5591722
Information
Former nameNew International School of Thailand
School typeIndependent, international
Established1992
CEEB code695270
Head of schoolDr. James Dalziel
Chair of NIST FoundationSarath Ratanavadi
GradesNursery - Year 13 (Grade 12)
Enrollment1,800
Average class size23 students
Student to teacher ratio10:1
Education systemIB
LanguageEnglish
Campus size25 rai (9.9 acres/40,000 m2)
Campus typeUrban
Colour(s)  NIST Blue
  White
Athletics conferenceBISAC, SEASAC
MascotFalcon
AccreditationsCouncil of International Schools (CIS), New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), Ministry of Education (Thailand), [1] The Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (ONESQA]
Annual tuition฿567,200 - ฿1,021,700 ($16,072 - $29,000)
AffiliationsEast Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS), International Schools Association of Thailand (ISAT)
Websitewww.nist.ac.th

History

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NIST opened in August, 1992 as the New International School of Thailand 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.[2] NIST was authorized to offer the IB Diploma Programme in 1993 and the IB Middle Years Programme in 1996. In 1997 it saw off its first group of graduates, and in 1998 it received dual accreditation through the Council of International Schools[3] and New England Association of Schools and Colleges.[4] NIST is also accredited by Thailand's Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment. With the addition of the IB Primary Years Programme in 1999, it became the first school in Thailand to offer all three IB programmes.[5] NIST was renamed NIST International School in 2012 on the occasion of its 20th anniversary.

NIST is currently operated by a non-profit organization, the NIST International School Foundation (NIST Foundation). Former chairs of the NIST Foundation include Mechai Viravaidya[6] and Pridiyathorn Devakula,[7] and the current chair is Sarath Ratanavadi.[8]

Accreditation and affiliation

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NIST is accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS), the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) since 1998 and the Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (ONESQA). It was the first school in Thailand to receive triple accreditation. Additionally, NIST is a member of the East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools[9] and the International Schools Association of Thailand.[10]

Several organizations and programs are based on NIST's campus, including master's programs for University at Buffalo, The State University of New York[11] and The College of New Jersey,[12] the Professional Learning Hub,[13] and the JUMP! Foundation's Global Leadership Center.[14] NIST is also the home of Top Flight Basketball Academy, run by ex-NBA player Ike Nwankwo, and Chelsea F.C. International Development Centre Bangkok.[15]

Campus

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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 began construction on new facilities in 2001. As of 2014, it has expanded its physical facilities and now possesses dedicated buildings for the early years, elementary and secondary sections. It also includes a sports complex, creative arts building and two additional multi-purpose buildings. A fourth multi-purpose building, the Hub, was completed in June 2014, while renovation of the older facilities began.[16]

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

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NIST is a licensed IB World School, offering all three programmes of the International Baccalaureate:[17] the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for students from 3–11, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students from 11–16 and the IB Diploma Programme (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 and learner profile, the school adopts an academic approach that emphasizes collaboration, hands-on learning and exploration. Students learn both on and off campus through service activities, internships and the school's annual off-campus experiential learning trips. As a compulsory part of the curriculum, all NIST students must also learn a language other than English.

In 2014 NIST partnered with Yokohama International School and Zurich International School in offering the Global Citizen Diploma (GCD), an optional, additive certificate that reflects graduates' leadership, service and community engagement. Current members of the GCD consortium include NIST, ACS International Schools, Hong Kong Academy, Le Jardin Academy, Nanjing International School and Yokohama International School[18] The GCD aims to identify "the diversity of gifts students may have, rather than assuming the importance of any particular set of skills or knowledge, based on any cultural bias."[19]

NIST's previous five graduation cohorts from the Classes of 2016-2020 earned an average 35.4 on the IB diploma examinations compared to the world average of 30.2, with over half of the students earning a bilingual diploma compared to the respective global average of 23.6%.[20]

Extra-curricular activities

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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 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.

Sports at NIST

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  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Volleyball at NIST International School
  • Badminton at NIST International School
  • Cross Country at NIST International School
  • Golf at NIST International School
  • Gymnastics at NIST International School
  • Rugby Sevens at NIST International School
  • Softball at NIST International School
  • Touch at NIST International School
  • Swimming at NIST International School
  • T-Ball at NIST International School

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ "NIST International School". IB World Schools Yearbook. John Catt Educational Ltd. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  2. ^ http://www.nist.ac.th/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Message-from-Under-Secretary-General.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  3. ^ "Membership Directory". Council of International Schools. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  4. ^ "NIST International School". New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  5. ^ "NIST International School". International Baccalaureate. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  6. ^ "2016 Engaging with Difference: Speaker". Alliance for International Education. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  7. ^ "M.R. Pridiyathorn Devakula, WG'70". Wharton Kuala Lumpur 2016. The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  8. ^ "Sarath Ratanavadi". USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. University of Southern California. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  9. ^ "EARCOS Member Schools". East Asia Regional Council of Schools. Archived from the original on May 11, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  10. ^ "Member Schools". International Schools Association of Thailand. Archived from the original on January 20, 2014. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  11. ^ "UEC Thailand". UEC. 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  12. ^ "Off-Site Graduate Programs - Bangkok, Thailand". College of New Jersey. 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  13. ^ "About the PLH". NIST International School. 2014. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  14. ^ "Global Leadership Center @ NIST". JUMP! Foundation. 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  15. ^ "Chelsea FC Soccer School Bangkok". Chelsea Football Club. 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  16. ^ "NIST Campus Development Plan | NIST International School in Bangkok". August 2014.
  17. ^ "NIST International School". International Baccalaureate. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  18. ^ "Global Citizen Diploma". Global Citizen Diploma. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  19. ^ "Site Suspended".
  20. ^ "School Performance". NIST International School. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  21. ^ "With History in a Room Filled with People with Funny Names 4". IFFR. International Film Festival Rotterdam. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  22. ^ "Hot Docs 2019 Awards". Hot Docs. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  23. ^ "Google Knowledge Graph". 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  24. ^ "UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Praya Lundberg". United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  25. ^ "Thita LAMSAM". ISU Results. International Skating Union. Retrieved March 10, 2021.