Playtimes HK Magazine September 2017 Issue | Page 49

It will be the 50th anniversary of the International Baccalaureate next year; Freya Paleit investigates what has helped to make it popular here in Hong Kong F IB? ounded in 1968, the International Baccalaureate (IB) is a non-profit educational foundation offering four programmes of international education. Schools must be authorised by the IB organisation to offer any of these four programmes: the IB Primary Years Programme for children aged 3 to 12, the IB Middle Years Programme, designed for students aged 11 to 16, the IB Diploma Programme and the IB Career-related Programme for students aged 16 to 19. Technically, any school with an IB programme is called an “IB school.” Since “IB school” is used as shorthand, it’s important to ask how students participate in IB at any given school. It’s most straightforward at IB primary schools, where IB is part of every class school-wide. But in secondary schools that may not be the case. Some secondary schools are 100 per cent IB, but not all. For example, at many there are IB programmes that kids may opt into, much like attending a school within a school. If that’s the case, students may participate in IB at different levels, ranging from taking a single IB course to earning an IB diploma, which involves taking a full course load of IB classes and meeting a series of requirements. What’s to love? The IB has gained popularity for setting high standards and emphasising creative and critical thinking. As the world develops into an ever more computer-run and robotic place, creativity and critical thinking – skills not easily replicated by machines – are seen as vital for our children’s futures. IB students become very independent as they are responsible for their own learning, choosing topics and devising their own projects, while teachers act more as supervisors or mentors rather than sources of facts. The IB emphasises research and encourages students to learn from their peers, with students actively critiquing one another’s work. Beyond preparing students for critical thinking and college-level work, the full IB programme aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better world through intercultural understanding and respect. Ruth Benny, the founder of Top Schools, explains that “At Diploma level, the IB’s rigour is valued by universities so much that good students can earn credits for US college courses and so, in effect, fast track their degree.” She also believes that following the IB system “can be considered advantageous for students as they end up with a more well-rounded education, compared with those who take only three A-Level subjects.” IB has a hard-earned reputation for high standards of teaching, pedagogical leadership and student achievement September 2017 47