The IB (International Baccalaureate) programme is an internationally recognized high school programme that is a preparatory course for the University education. The objective has always been to provide a challenging and all-inclusive educational experience that rises beyond geographical, cultural, and disciplinary boundaries. The IB students are trained to be internationally minded learners who can utilize their skills, knowledge, and experience towards creating a more peaceful, more just world.
The IB programme is for students from ages 3 to 19 years that challenges them to achieve and excel in both their academic and personal lives. It offers four main educational levels at different age groups.
As the IB is recognized as one of the most demanding educational curricula, it takes a particular kind of student to make most of the unique learning opportunities it offers. If the parents and children are currently looking at possibilities of IB education, then they need to read further. The following characteristic are promising signs that your child may be tailor-made for this challenging education program.
A naturally curious child who is self-motivated to learn and explore more about himself, the world around him and the people and can surely thrive under the IB Programme. The educators are constantly looking for students who can stand out among their peers due to their unique passion for discovery and learning.
This way they are comfortable in learning and honing their investigative and research skills that play a crucial role in the IB programmes. They will also be comfortable in taking responsibility for their own learning experiences and working independently on the assigned tasks. The IB curriculum requires its students to drive their own learning.
Can your child work with others as a team? Can he take the initiative to complete a task? Can he go beyond being a passive absorber of concepts, and question ‘why’ or ‘how’. All these are traits for being the right choice for the IB programme. CAS (Creativity, Activity, and Service) is one of three core essentials that a student must complete as a part of the IB programme, the other two being Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and Extended Essays (EE).
This CAS project challenges the students to show initiative, demonstrate perseverance and develop skills such as collaboration, problem solving and decision making. Though this project is not graded, the participation is significant and the IB programme recognises that the students need to give back to the community through Service opportunities and balance their academics with creativity and activity. The project enables the students to enhance the personal and interpersonal development by learning through experience.
International education exposes students to cultures, histories, and ways of life all over the world, though initially many be unfamiliar. It becomes easy if the child is already accustomed to life in a multicultural environment and has an interest in the values, traditions and perspectives of the individuals and communities. This showcases their awareness of a world outside their domain and openness to experience that world in full.
Does your child show aptitude for spoken and written communications? Is he multilinguist and appreciates learning other languages? Does he enjoy the opportunities of working with and learning from others? If the answers to the above-mentioned questions are ‘yes’, then the child is very much a potential for the IB curriculum, as developing the communication skills is one of the major objectives. The students receive extensive training in writing, public speaking, and presentation and even so more in multi languages. They are excellent team players and produce excellent results when working in teams.
Is your child more academically inclined and has the confidence to ace many subjects at once? Then the IB curriculum provides an appropriate, enabling environment and allows the child the freedom and opportunity to expand his depth of knowledge in multiple subjects. Students pursuing the IB curriculum opt subjects from the six different subject groups
And the students select their subjects from a wide range od specialisations in each subject group. The six subjects thus chosen- three of them studied in the Higher Level (HL) and three in the Standard Level (SL).
One of the most important selling points of IB education is that it prepares the students for university education, work, and life outside their home country. Throughout the study years, the curriculum presents the students with unfamiliar and uncertain situations, subjects and learning materials.
A can-do positive attitude and the eagerness to leave his comfort zone with confidence are promising signs that the child is ready for the IB curriculum.
These characteristics more importantly help in the development of attitudes that will serve them in the later life, such as adaptability, mental resilience, and high level of self-esteem. According to the report of World Economic Forum’s 2020 Future of Jobs, critical thinking and problem-solving are still among the top skills that employers look of in their potential employees and such skills are in the IB student’s profiles.
The IB curriculum is not for everyone, but if your child has the right attitude, the IB curriculum would be a learning environment he can thrive upon. It is never too late or never too early to explore the benefits from pursuing the IB curriculum syllabus. So, discuss the idea with your child. And should he be ready to dive deep and embrace the various challenges that come his way in the new school, then surely a world -class education is knocking at his door.
Manya – The Princeton Review offers end-to-end study abroad services encompassing admissions consulting services, test preparation, English language training, career assessment, and international internship opportunities to study abroad aspirants. Founded in 2002, Manya holds an impeccable track record of enabling more than 4 lac students to accomplish their study abroad dreams through its network of 47+ centers across India.
Manya has formed long-lasting global alliances with several market leaders in the education industry in order to maximize the benefits of its large service portfolio. Their list of esteemed partners and affiliations includes – The Princeton Review (TPR), Cambridge University Press (CUP), Cogito Hub, British Council, Tuding to name a few. Manya has also forged 600+ partnerships with international universities across top study abroad destinations.
Book your Free Counselling Session now!The acceptance ratio of the IB diploma certificate is very high. It emphasizes overall academic performance with self-directed learning. Focuses on more social and emotional development. Develop a global perspective—understanding of moral value. Thus, these are the benefits of studying for an IB diploma student.
A-Levels might be another curriculum and be a better choice for a child. Some students find the IB curriculum is harder but with more rewards.
The study curriculum is based on self-directed, independent learning and applying problem-solving skills to real-world issues. The IB curriculum also provides opportunities for students for a more wide range of subjects to study. Thus, it makes the IB curriculum different from other curriculums.
Primary Years, Middle Years, and Diploma Programme are the three programs for students between the ages of 3 and 18.
The IBDP or International Baccalaureate Diploma Program offers international students a self-driven focused learning experience platform. Thus, helps students to develop cognitive abilities.
Tips for IBDP-TOK and a Sample Essay
