Aragon’s President, Jorge Azcón, visited the school on Tuesday alongside the Regional Minister for Education, Science and Universities, Carmen Susín, to learn about the development of a programme through which the regional government seeks to bring educational programmes with the greatest academic prospects to students throughout Aragon, regardless of where they live.
“Expanding young people’s educational opportunities and offering them a quality education is essential so that they can develop their talent and build their future,” Azcón said. He stressed that bringing this programme to Teruel means its students can access advanced education without having to leave their province.
TWO YEARS AND AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED QUALIFICATION
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme lasts two academic years and provides an education focused particularly on critical thinking, research, student independence and connections between different areas of knowledge.
Its curriculum is organised into six subject groups: Studies in Language and Literature, Language Acquisition, Individuals and Societies, Experimental Sciences, Mathematics and the Arts or other elective subjects. These are complemented by three core components that distinguish this model from other upper-secondary education options.
Students must take Theory of Knowledge, complete activities within the Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) programme and write a research-based extended essay of up to 4,000 words on a topic of their own choosing.
ACCESS TO UNIVERSITY IN SPAIN AND OTHER COUNTRIES
One of the main advantages of this programme is its international reach. The diploma allows students to access official undergraduate university programmes in Spain in accordance with current regulations and, at the same time, facilitates admission to higher education institutions in other countries thanks to its recognition beyond Spain’s borders.
Azcón said the programme also represents an issue of territorial equality, allowing students from Teruel to access academic opportunities that had previously been unavailable in the province. “Educational excellence must go hand in hand with equality,” he said.
The programme’s implementation also has the support of Teruel City Council and the Provincial Council, which have an agreement with the Department of Education to help launch and sustain it. Teruel Mayor Emma Buj and Provincial Council President Joaquín Juste also took part in the visit.
TERUEL JOINS ARAGON’S INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE NETWORK
The addition of IES Vega del Turia expands the presence of the International Baccalaureate in Aragon. The programme is also offered at IES Lucas Mallada in Huesca, extending this type of education beyond the region’s main population centres.
The Teruel school launching the programme has a long educational history. Founded in 1845 as the Provincial Institute of Teruel, it received the Plaque of Honour of the Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise in 2022 for its contribution to education, science and culture.
IES Vega del Turia currently has 903 students and 117 teachers. Its curriculum includes Compulsory Secondary Education, upper-secondary education and vocational training, as well as BRIT bilingual programmes in English and French and various innovation and international mobility projects such as Erasmus+, PROA+ and Xcelence. The arrival of the International Baccalaureate now expands its offering with one of the most internationally recognised pre-university programmes.
