IB Board

What is IB Board, Its Structure, Curriculum and Offerings

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Education is the stepping stone for the prosperous future of every child. It helps in building future leaders, managers and innovators. International Baccalaureate (IB) board has become very popular and it offers a unique blend of academic excellence with holistic development.  But what IB Board and Curriculum lets break it down.

IB Board : International Baccalaureate (IB) 

This is an internationally recognized educational framework. It is governed by selected Board of Governors . The strategies, policies and financial management is overseen by these selected board of Governors. IB board provides a standardized global education providing a rich learning experience through international curriculum. It was founded in 1968 by International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). This board focuses on overall holistic development of the child. It fosters critical thinking and well rounded education in students. The education approach encourages research skills , global awareness , deep understanding and real world application among students.

IB offers the following 4 programs

  • Primary Years Program (PYP) –  This for age group 3–12 years i.e. grade nursery to 5th. This provides foundational learning to the students. It focuses on the emotional and social growth of the students. Learning is based on  real world experiences. Students get global awareness  by learning about various cultures, and world issues.

  • Middle Years Program (MYP) – This is designed for Age group  11–16 years i.e. grade 6th to 10th. The curriculum is build on six themes and student have to choose one subject from each theme which includes maths, science, arts, Individual & societies, Language & Literature and Language Acquisition . It has project based learnings Theory of Knowledge is introduced where students are encouraged to question assumptions and explore new and different perspectives.

  • Diploma Program (DP) – This is designed for Ages 16–19 years.  This is two year pre university course where the rigorous learning prepares the students to enter top universities worldwide and India . This is the final stage of the the IB curriculum .Students study six subject groups here namely

  • Maths
  • Arts
  • Language & Literature
  • Individual and societies
  • Science
  • Language Acquisition

Apart these subjects students also need to pass in Theory of Knowledge, Extended essay where they have to write a 4000 words research paper preparing them for university level writing and CAS which stands for creativity, activity and service where in students are involved in community engagements , artistic flair to create a holistic development atmosphere.

  • IB career related Program (CP) – This is 2 year program specifically designed for students who want career related learning and gain skills like critical thinking, cross cultural engagement and presentation and communication.

Evaluation Method of IB curriculum

Students are graded between 1 to 7 points in IB curriculum with 1 being the lowest and 7 highest. There are regular internal assessments and students are rigorously tested and graded based on their performance.

For external assessments students have to submit a project for every subject and an external teacher then evaluates the projects. This helps the students to enhance their research and presentation skills.

Internal and external examinations are of equal importance in this curriculum. And the students are tested on the critical thinking, deep understanding of every topics of each subject, global awareness, writing and presentation skills.

What Does IB curriculum Offer to the Students

The IB framework has much to offer than just academics, it shapes the students to develop a great sense of critical thinking, global awareness, social responsibility, inquisitive individuals and ethical.

  • Inquiry based learning : Students learn through critical thinking and research based approach. it gives an opportunity to the students to have structured and purposeful inquiry based learning.
  • Global Perspective: Conduct research and understanding on global engagements. Getting the exposure of other world languages, culture and practices but still remain rooted to our own culture.
  • Holistic Learning: Focus on developing a positive attitude towards surrounding and people, open mindedness, empathy and cultural awareness.
  • Theory of Knowledge: This curriculum encourages the students to question assumptions and learn new perspectives.
  • Focus on skills : IB curriculum promotes skill based learning which will used in real world scenarios.
  • Independent Learning: Encourages students to develop independent thinking but also appreciating others point of views and thoughts
  • Students have the option to choose their subjects from six themes based on their interests and career aspirations.
  • The curriculum offers alot to the students in the form of oral presentations, essay writings, research programs, written exams.
Some important questions Regarding IB Curriculum

Do Indian Colleges recognize IB Diploma

Currently in India The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) fully recognizes the IB Diploma equal to 10+2 class of Senior Secondary School which is the eligibility criteria for the admission process in India.

Do IB students face disadvantage in college admission process as compared to students studying in CBSE curriculum.

The government of India and Ministry of Education have created a National Testing Agency which conduct a standardized exam for higher education institutions and Common University Entrance Test (CUET) is one such test for all Central Universities. IB students apply to Indian Colleges through this test just like a CBSE student. IB students who want to apply for medicine can opt for three sciences ie physics, chemistry and biology and can drop one subject from group 3. AIU also has a conversion formula to convert the IB grades into percentage equivalents and provides a percentage mark sheet.

How are subjects chosen in IB

There are 6 subject streams in IB DP program and students need to select at least 1 subject from each theme. Below is the list of 6 themes or groups

  • Maths
  • Science
  • Arts
  • Language Acquisition
  • Language and Literature
  • Individuals and Societies

Conclusion

The future of education is moving towards holistic learning, inquiry based and with a global perspective. IB schools emphasize alot on critical thinking, international mindedness, development of well rounded individuals which are ready to take up any complex challenges. Education now is more student centric, dynamic, globally focused. IB schools are well positioned to lead this transformation. With the IB schools providing all of the above they are preparing the students to thrive in an ever changing world. Going forward in order to excel globally and in life this is the curriculum the students should follow.

 

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