NIST International School (Thai: โรงเรียนนานาชาตินิสท์, RTGS: Rong 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.
History
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'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.
Elementary building and playground
Soccer pitch, the Hub and secondary building
Creative Arts Building
The Oval and Building 2
Curriculum
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.
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
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.
Thita Lamsam (Thai: ฐิตา ล่ำซำ), Class of 2018: Figure skater; 5-time national champion (2014, 2016, 2018, 2019 & 2020) at Thailand National Figure Skating Championships[25]