Why the IB Curriculum Should Be Encouraged
Director of the oldest international school in the world, the International School of Geneva, from 1929-1949, Marie-Therese Maurette planted the seeds that would eventually become the IB Diploma Programme. Maurette did this by writing ‘Educational Techniques for Peace. Do they Exist?’, a piece that, gradually, would lead on to the creation of the International Baccalaureate.
This laid the foundation for a curriculum that now allows a diverse pool of teachers and learners to approach education in an inclusive way, all across the world. But, before delving into the curriculum’s increasing prevalence and benefits, let’s explore exactly what the IB Diploma Programme offers.
The International Baccalaureate
So, what is the International Baccalaureate? Founded in 1968, it’s a nonprofit foundation conceived in Geneva, Switzerland, made up of four educational programmes. These programmes are:
- The IB Diploma Programme and the IB Career-related Programme-offered to students aged 15-19
- The IB Middle Years Programme – offered to students aged 11-16
- The IB Primary Years Programmes – offered to children aged 3-12
In 2006, Time Magazine touted the IB Diploma Programme as a way in which we can bring our schools into the 20th century, recognising its progressive, instructionally sound approach toward education.
The IB Curriculum and international schools
The International Baccalaureate has grown in popularity due to its effectiveness within global contexts. Schools that introduce the IB curriculum place importance upon the understanding of languages and the recognition of cultures, diving into ideas that allow students to foster their participation in an international society. For instance, KIS International School, in Bangkok, Thailand, recognises how the IB programmes ‘develop international-mindedness’ and how the IB helps ‘ease the transition from school to school for students who move frequently’.
Integrating the IB Curriculum
As a result, the IB Curriculum is now being integrated into other curriculums overseas. For example, schools who employ the English National Curriculum (ENC) have recognised how to make the best of both worlds. The ENC’s prescriptive nature focuses on the progression of skills, allowing students to build upon knowledge, avoid repetition, and fill gaps in their knowledge.
However, if this is the only approach, connections between concepts have the potential to be vague, and opportunities to ask questions to gain a deeper understanding can be lost. Integrating the IB Curriculum can supplement this. It creates an inclusive, whole-school framework, where the school uses the same language, allowing cohesive lines of inquiry through an embedded approach.
How the IB Curriculum helps learners
So, what are the benefits of introducing an IB Curriculum to schools? When it comes to students, the comprehensive programmes aim to cultivate learners that are encouraged to reinforce their critical thinking skills, solve complex problems, and have ownership over their own learning journey. Having a foundation of these skills and experience with such a curriculum will ultimately guide them toward some of the most well-established, reputable universities in the world. Not only this, but they will gain a sense of cultural awareness in the process. The IB Curriculum is there to create individuals that are able to assimilate with an increasingly globalised world.
How the IB Curriculum helps educators
Schools that adopt the IB Curriculum also offer a high level of training for its staff. Teachers who have made the switch from another curriculum are required to transition smoothly into a different system, so the IB approach must account for this. Therefore, IB teachers have access to high quality professional development that, not unlike the students, encourages critical thinking, reflective thinking, and motivation to continuously pursue pedagogical improvement.
Staff employed under IB will also experience an innovative way to take on diverse frameworks of education, teaching resources, and assessment devices. The qualifications that are available are also extremely reputable amongst universities across the globe. Essentially, a teacher’s responsibility is to foster well-rounded, motivated students that form a meaningful connection with education, and instructing through an IB Curriculum offers that opportunity.
An IB Curriculum offers inclusivity
As we have briefly touched upon, an IB school typically results in a mixed, diverse demographic of staff. This is due to its open approach toward accepting teachers with a wide range of past experiences within the curriculum. For instance, those that transfer from the British, American, Irish, and Australian Curriculums will find that they’ll most likely experience an emphasis on IB’s thematic, cross-curricular approach in an inclusive atmosphere.
The same can be said for those transitioning from the Ontario Curriculum, and the South African Department of Basic Education / Higher Education. Essentially, demographics are diverse and derived from a number of different educational strains, allowing an intricate network of teachers with a wide variety of experiences. With ideas coming from so many different sources, adapted towards the IB programmes, there is a level of inclusivity that reinforces pedagogical practices.
The IB programmes are holistic
The IB isn’t solely about subject knowledge and core content. IB programmes introduce ways of thinking and methods of learning, valuing the process itself. Learning is grounded in real-world situations, allowing students to fully comprehend the context surrounding their education. All subjects are connected, meaning a cohesive, underlying thread runs through everything.
Conceptual thinking is encouraged, meaning students are given more tools to apply their knowledge in a number of different ways. This is all done through an internationally-minded lens. Education goes beyond the classroom, focusing on creating well-rounded individuals that have a rich understanding of many different strands of learning. After all, life goes beyond academia, and social and emotional intelligence are just as important to develop.
IB schools encourage academic success
So, keeping in theme with the holistic nature of IB programmes, there is also a strong emphasis on the importance of academic success. Due to the multiple angles that learning is targeted, students develop a unique mindset and set of skills that will prepare them for success at university and beyond. Independent, student-centred learning is encouraged, increasing confidence and intrinsic motivation. Such abilities provide students with a greater chance of accessing some of the best universities the world has to offer. Due to its cross-curricular approach to learning, learners who have come from IB schools will be armed with impactful tools that will ultimately prepare for higher education, and life in general.
Looking toward the future
It’s no secret that IB schools employ a number of progressive tactics built upon proven methods that draw the best from its students and staff alike. Many countries around the world have recognised this, taking on more and more IB schools in recent years. Singapore, for example, has a strong infrastructure that allows IB schools to flourish, offering some of the best in the world.
Due to its strict international educational guidelines, Singapore is just one example of a place that many students look to as a solid option. As another example, Dubai’s IB schools are closely monitored regarding educational practices and facilities, requiring top-quality sporting facilities due the importance placed on co-curricular activities.
IB schools offer the whole picture
Ultimately, the overriding vision of IB programmes is that students are cultivated to be well-rounded individuals that aren’t crammed through the academic system rigidly. Their soft skills are built upon, educated by a diverse range of educators, instilling the confidence that’s needed to not only be great learners, but people, as well. The world is unpredictable and complicated, so young people should be prepared for that in any way possible.
If you were to ask a teacher what a successful student looks like, they would say one that’s resilient, intrinsically motivated, and prepared to apply lessons they’ve learned to real world contexts. With this in mind, for educators and students looking to tackle academia in a comprehensive, holistic manner, IB schools shouldn’t be glanced over.
