What is IB?
IB stands for International Baccalaureate. IB is a non-profit educational foundation established in Geneva in 1968. IB offers four types of programs namely Primary Years Program (PYP), Middle Years Program (MYP), Diploma Program (DP) and Career-related Program (CP).
PYP is for students aged between 3 and 12. MYP is for students between 11 and 16 years of age. DP and CP are for students aged between 16 and 19.
Why and how IB is different from other models of education in India.
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- The general tendency of CBSE and many state boards is to push for the curricula-based system. While the assessment of students is made on their understanding of the subject, there is no assessment of such parameters like critical thinking, questioning skills, etc.
- CBSE board has off late adopted some measures of assessing students not just on curricula but on other parameters too. But still, the emphasis is more on the curricula. This can be clearly gauged from the fact that CBSE takes lead in conducting few competitive exams across India. The clear motive of these competitive exams is for getting into higher studies within India.
- IB, on the other hand, has a different set of value and core motive. Here is a short summary of four ways how IB is different.
- IB through its well-researched curricula encourages students to think critically and challenge the status quo. In other words, it encourages the students to question everything that they see around them.
- IB does not take or support any country-specific education systems. They rather adopt a research-based approach.
- IB gives exposure to students for analysing an issue in local and global contexts. This gives them a 360 degree perspective on any issue.
- IB strives to produce students who are truly multilingual. It is a known fact that multilingual students have a better understanding of their exposure to different cultures.
How IB truly stands out?
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- IB can no way can compete with local curricula as they both are in a different league. It is like comparing apples to oranges. They both are simply different.
- However, if a student wants to pursue higher education abroad, IB is the system to go for.
- With many competitive exams being centralized in India, IB students have that extra ability to crack some papers like aptitude-based exams. The critical thinking they have acquired over years makes them succeed.
- IB students have extra free time because the relative numbers of assignments, internal tests are lower in number. IB students are encouraged to take up volunteering. This gives them a perspective of what career they want to choose.
- If success was the only yardstick, then IB students perform much better than the students of other boards.
