Top 10 reasons to choose the International Baccalaureate

Some private schools are so impressed by the IB diploma that they’re completely phasing out A-levels. Find out why pupils, parents, schools and universities love this course. By Joanna Wright

The IB encourages young people to debate topical, moral and soclal issues

Can we think without language? Can feelings have a rational basis? Does living a moral life matter? If questions like that appeal to you and stimulate your synapses, the International Baccalaureate could be the ideal choice instead of A-levels.

Many leading independent schools are so impressed by the IB that they are going through the rigorous and intricate process of introducing it in conjunction with A-level and some, after consultation with parents and pupils, are offering the IB alone.

What is the International Baccalaureate (IB)?

It’s a two-year pre-university qualification that leads to a diploma that meets international standards and allows students to fulfil the requirements of their state education. So the IB is not based on any one system, nor is it in thrall to any one government.

Children as young as three can join the IB community with the Primary Years Programme (PYP) which they follow until age 12; followed by the Middle Years Programme (MYP) from ages 11 to 16, and students start the Diploma at age 16.

Top 10 reasons to choose the IB

1 The IB is flexible and wide-ranging

In order to understand the breadth of the IB, we need to break it down into its component parts… For the diploma, students cover

3 higher level subjects
3 standard level subjects
Theory of knowledge (TOK)
Extended essay (4000-word essay)
Creativity, action and service (CAS)

2 The IB offers breadth and depth

Some people dismiss the IB as ‘just like the old O-levels’ and this is a fallacy. There is plenty of opportunity to delve down into complex and challenging issues because students must cover higher as well as standard level options.

Higher and standard level options
Usually students select one subject from each of the following groups. These can be done at a variety of levels

Group 1: (first language) English
Group 2: (second language) French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Latin, Greek (some at three different levels)
Group 3: (individuals and societies) business and management, economics, geography or history
Group 4: (experimental sciences) biology, chemistry or physics
Group 5: Mathematics course (there are three different levels)
Group 6: Arts course, for instance music, theatre arts or visual arts

The system is flexible. Instead of a group 6 subject, one extra subject is allowed from groups 2 to 4 (so students can study two languages, two humanities, two sciences).

3 The IB is superb preparation for university

Students at Queen Ethelburga's, in York, enjoy the IB

Tim Woffenden, a leading IB consultant who advises independent and state school, says: “IB students are better prepared for university, and, more importantly, life,” he comments. “They emerge mature, balanced, multi-skilled, numerate, literate and fluent in another language.”

Tim reckons that knowledge and understanding of the IB is improving dramatically and that universities and employers value the critical thinking and independent learning elements, as well as the breadth of the programme.

4 The IB is stable

To date, 46 independent UK schools offer the diploma, more than any other country in Europe, and growth is at its most rapid. Tim adds: “Strong schools are joining the club, for instance Manchester Grammar, King Edward's, Birmingham, and Cheltenham Ladies College. As A-levels come under greater scrutiny every year for grade inflation, the IB is growing in popularity.

5 It’s well regulated

Only schools authorised by the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) are eligible to teach the curriculum and register candidates for the examination. Gaining IB school status involves a rigorous two-year authorisation process, but it’s designed to support schools and ensure that they fully understand the nature and requirements of the programme. Sometimes more teachers are needed, but in general schools find it challenging and rewarding. There’s a global quality control and inspection regime, involving self-inspection, on-site visits and submission of documentation to IBO headquarters.

6 Schools love it…

Pat Jewitt is registrar at Queen Ethelberga’s College in York, where the first group of IB students is embarking on the diploma: “The IB is favoured in European countries – and we want to attract students from abroad so it really works for us. Plus we like the broader based curriculum. Offering the IB gives us a competitive edge and students a highly respected qualification”.

7 Universities love it…A view of Durham: the university welcomes the breadth of the IB

Richard Emborg, director of student recruitment and undergraduate admissions at Durham University, says, “In our opinion, it’s different. The IB is overarching in terms of curriculum, whereas typically A-levels concentrate on one course area.

“We place value on the breadth IB students experience. We are an international economy; one world. Awareness of how the world links together is a good thing and the IB curriculum reflects this. We’d welcome more IB entrants.”

In 2007, the IB was given what looked like a standing ovation the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Under the tariff, an IB score of 30 gives a candidate 419 UCAS points against just 360 for three As at A-level. A top IB score of 48 is equivalent to more than six As at A-level.

8 The IB is not just about academic achievement

The IBO’s goal is to educate the whole person and foster responsibility. The Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) element of the IB requires that students share their energy and talents with others, beyond academic work. A minimum of 150 hours of participation over the two years in creative, physical and service activities is required (at least 50 hours in each element). They may include things like playing a musical instrument in a group, sport, art and drama and the Duke of Edinburgh award.

Trips to exotic places, like Costa Rica, can be included on the IB agendaThe idea is that you give something back to the community. For instance, IB students at Fettes College, a leading independent school in Edinburgh, work in local charity shops, primary schools and a hospice and have even taken part in an expedition to Costa Rica. Progress is monitored through self-evaluations and a CAS co-ordinator.

9 It encourages independence

Pupils research a topic independently and prepare a 4000-word essay. Many students select a topic from one of their higher level subject areas.
This is similar to the kind of extended essay that a student might undertake at university – in fact, the essay is often popular with universities. A supervisor gives guidance and advice and the essay is submitted at the end of the winter term of the upper sixth.

10 The IB expands the mind

The Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is core to the IB, challenging pupils to think critically. Here are some examples of the questions asked:

How is knowledge gained and from what sources?
To what extent do personal experience and ideology influence our knowledge claims?
What is the difference between ‘I am certain’ and ‘It is certain’?
Can we think without language?
Can feelings have a rational basis?
Does living a moral life matter?

Assessment is by one essay of 1200-1600 words on a title prescribed by the IBO and one 10-minute presentation to the class.

27 Sure Signs You Were In The I.B. Program

1. YOU TOOK SOOOO MANY TESTS. YOU PAID TO TAKE TESTS. TESTS, TESTS, TESTS. CLICK HERE: 27 SURE SIGNS YOU WERE IN THE I.B. PORGRAM

2. WHEN SOMEONE ASKED IF IB WAS “LIKE AP CLASSES?”, YOU WERE LIKE:

3. YOU ATTEMPTED TO DO YOUR EXTENDED ESSAY ON DR. SEUSS.

4. YOUR HIGH SCHOOL CLASSMATES GOT WASTED AT PARTIES; YOU HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT PHILOSOPHY.

5. SEVEN CLASSES EVERY SEMESTER. SEVEN CLASSES.

6. YOUR JANSPORT AVERAGED 58 LBS, 6 OZ.

7. PROCRASTINATION WAS YOUR LIFESTYLE CHOICE.

8. THIS WAS YOUR PROM DATE.

9. WHEN YOUR NON-IB FRIENDS COMPLAINED ABOUT HOW MUCH HOMEWORK THEY HAD, YOU WERE JUST LIKE:

10. YOU HAD A SHIRT THAT SAID:

11. YOU WRITE A TWO PAGE RESPONSE TO A ONE SENTENCE QUESTION.

12. YOU REALIZED THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE WAS KIND OF BS, BUT YOU LOVED IT ANYWAY.

13. 5 HOURS OF SLEEP SEEMED LIKE AN AMAZING NIGHT OF LUXURY.

14. YOU TOOK YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE HL, BECAUSE YOU KNEW WHAT’S UP.

15. THE “IB CURVE” WAS A TRUE MIRACLE SENT FROM THE HEAVENS.

16. “DOES THIS COUNT FOR CAS HOURS?” WAS YOUR CLASSMATES’ MOST POPULAR FAQ.

17. YOU TIED YOUR TESTS TOGETHER WITH STRING TIES INSTEAD OF STAPLES.

18. YOU COULDN’T WATCH A MOVIE WITHOUT FINDING ALL THE MOTIFS AND THEMES.

19. YOU STARTED TO SUSPECT THE IB DROPOUTS WERE ACTUALLY SMARTER THAN YOU.

20. HAVING TO CUT DOWN THE NUMBER OF WORDS IN AN ESSAY WAS YOUR GREATEST FEAR.

21. EVERYONE AT YOUR SCHOOL “DIDN’T LIKE COFFEE,” AND YOU WERE JUST LIKE:

22. MATH HL: A SUREFIRE WAY TO NOT GET YOUR DIPLOMA.

23. YOU DREADED YOUR ORALS MORE THAN DEATH.

24. YOU ACCIDENTALLY START TYPING EMAILS IN LATIN.

25. PI DAY WAS PRACTICALLY A RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY AT YOUR SCHOOL.

26. WHEN YOUR TEACHER IN ONE OF YOUR SLS CALLED ON YOU:

27. BUT, YOU STARTED COLLEGE AS AN ALMOST-JUNIOR BECAUSE OF ALL YOUR COURSE CREDIT.

16 The Downside of International Baccalaureate

Q. You hear a lot about the high test scores that kids who are in International Baccalaureate schools can get. But what's the downside of this relatively new curriculum?

The International Baccalaureate (IB) program was created in 1968 to provide a quality education for the children of European diplomats who weren't living in their home countries. IB is aligned with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to produce an internationally standardized educational system that affords equal weight and value to every system of government, cultural practice and social construct in the world.

Parents like how IB students are required to master two foreign languages, write a long, original research paper, and participate in out-of-school "service learning" activities. They say IB schools raise test scores in elementary, middle-school and high-school programs, and prepare students better for college than regular curricula. They say that even if the cost per pupil is higher than for regular students, estimated at more than $200,000 per school plus ongoing continuing education costs, sending educators on learning junkets to faraway places, it's well worth it.

Critics of IB, however, say students can and do get a highly competitive, globally-focused K-12 education from a regular school program with control in the hands of local educators and elected representatives in the local school board, state legislature, state board of education and other democratically selected leadership.

They say IB is "un-American" because the ideas and values taught align with United Nations philosophies. Basically, the idea taught is that no one political philosophy is "right" and that no one country or system is superior to another. In effect, critics say, IB promotes "world citizenship" as opposed to teaching students to become better American citizens. IB also undermines and minimizes the state learning standards put in place by local educators and state legislatures, creating a de facto global curriculum over which local parents and teachers have no sway.

What's taught must be of "universal" importance. By definition, that means the curriculum will have a different perspective than the ideas and values that come from the United States Constitution, and American history, literature, culture, religion and system of government.

The American experience is valued at the same level as any other nation's, so the students learn a lot less about American history and study a lot less American literature than students in regular curricula. This disarms these students from being able to recognize the legitimate advantages of our constitutional republic, since the less you know, the less ammunition there is in your intellectual arsenal for quality reasoning.

American principles of government and law are undermined and minimized in subtle ways, including the simple fact that they are grouped alongside so many other governmental styles and arrangements in a "value-neutral" way. That steers the students toward accepting globalism rather than valuing American sovereignty and American principles.

This is the heart of the controversy over IB, and a big reason elected school boards have trouble allocating extra taxpayer dollars to pay for IB programming which can be seen to "put down" the American way even though it's being delivered to students at the expense of American taxpayers.

Through the system of IB assessments, taken throughout the world on the same day and scored at IB headquarters, the critics say, student minds can be shaped toward globalism and socialism, rather than toward capitalism, democracy and pro-Americanism. If you don't "cave in" to the globalist/socialist way of thinking on the tests, you won't get a high score or a high grade, or get in to the elite colleges controlled by the same type of people as promote the IB curriculum to parents.

It may not be evident right now, but the simple fact of acceding power and control to the IB officials on curriculum and assessment poses a dangerous risk of a gradual transformation to more blatant Marxist content over the course of years, and local parents and educators would be powerless to reverse that trend.

IB supporters, on the other hand, say that participating schools can write their own curriculum. So, they say, the beliefs and values that are taught are really up the schools, not the International Baccalaureate Organization, which is based in Geneva, Switzerland. As long as locally-elected school boards are still responsible for curriculum, IB won't unduly propagandize young minds, they say. Of course, the students might not score as well on the IB assessments if they aren't schooled specifically in the IB curriculum.