International Baccalaureate (IB) is the largest international education board in the world. Parents realise that the IB pedagogy that promotes a global mindset among young minds will help them even after their education. Parents attest that an IB Education cultivates essential skills for the 21st century. The course curriculum has technological engagement, independent research, presentation, general awareness, and social engagement activities. While maintaining focus on the syllabus, learners are groomed to become tolerant, responsible and self-sufficient individuals. IB balances textual learning and understanding of theories with practical application. Parents tend to notice the positive changes in their children’s personalities as they progress personally and academically.
Only 206 schools in India offer an IB curriculum. These schools have to meet the standards set by the IB board in terms of -
Parents wish to provide their children with the best learning environment, where academics and extracurricular activities are balanced.
Most Indian parents enrol their children for the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP), the pre-university course offered by the IB board. IBDP has three core areas -
From the first day of the two-year programme, the learners are immersed in the curriculum, through assignments, activities, projects, presentations, and writing papers. They enter the programme knowing which college course they wish to apply to and the college where they want to go. Thus, the learners work with a single-minded focus towards their goals. Parents see that the curriculum ensures independent learning and helps students develop essential skill sets for college education.
Learners today cannot be restricted to textual concepts and theories alone because the information in the textbook is available on the internet, and with greater depth and understanding. The needs of today’s learners are to know how to search for relevant information and apply it to solve problems. Through ToK, the learner’s knowledge and understanding of the theories are tested. The probing nature of the assessment questions and essay tests helps the learner develop critical thinking skills and not just rely on rote learning. This way of learning helps the learner understand the purpose of the subject they are learning.
Parents who enrol their children in IBDP want them to attend top Indian or International colleges. The learners prepare for competitive entrance exams such as SAT, IIT-JEE, or NEET with aspirations to become Engineers, Lawyers, Entrepreneurs, Doctors, or Researchers. To apply to foreign colleges, learners require a strong profile besides excellent academic performance. In IBDP, learners develop time management, organisational, communication, presentation, academic writing, and research skills, among many others. These are soft skills that even recruiters look for in candidates, and help learners accomplish their career aspirations in the long run.
Parents who are working professionals will often rue the fact that they were not introduced to many important subjects in their school or college that are extremely relevant in the professional world. The interdisciplinary learning promoted in IB programmes teaches learners about the connection between different concepts and their applications. It leads them to probe and understand different perspectives and apply them to solve real-world problems.
We live in an increasingly connected world with businesses that span borders, people from everywhere communicating with one another, and easier access to international opportunities. Better awareness from easy access to news and events among the masses creates an expectation of greater tolerance towards race, religion, gender, culture and opinions. The IB Diploma programme is taught in schools where diversity is celebrated and the courses are designed to promote cultural engagement. With the extended essay and individual course essays and projects, one of the assessment criteria is the learner’s general awareness of society and international issues. Learners gain international exposure through activities such as field visits, exchange programmes, competitions, and many school-level engagements and events.
Parents want to provide their children with the best education to prepare them for the dynamic landscape of the professional world. Since it is not enough to be a college graduate anymore, learners must have the skills to seek opportunities and have their own opinions. The IB curriculum empowers learners by providing them with opportunities to discover, hone and showcase their talents which assures their parents that their children will learn to adapt to the changes and find their path to academic success.
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