Verdict On The IB, Almost 50 Years On …
Now approaching its 47th year milestone, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma was originally devised to provide a continuous Sixth Form education for the sons and daughters of professionals such as diplomats, missionaries or leaders operating within international /multinational organizations, whose jobs required them to relocate on a regular basis. The resulting programme for internationally mobile students preparing for university was founded in Geneva, Switzerland and, although it was first introduced to the UK in 1971, up until 2002 the IB had a relatively low profile presence in the UK.
The growth in popularity of the IB in the UK can to a degree be attributed to the blatant support it received from former Prime Minister, Tony Blair. In 2006, Mr. Blair made a radical statement saying he wanted to more than treble the number of state schools and colleges offering the IB in England, suggesting that there should be at least one sixth form college or school in every local authority offering students access to the programme – at the time only 46 state schools offered the IB. The then Prime Minister also confirmed the government’s support of up to 100 extra schools and colleges to help them offer the qualification by 2010. Since the Blair era, the IB has bathed in the positive publicity initially fuelled by Blair’s clear backing.
Today there are around 200 schools in the UK authorized to run the IB Diploma so what are the perceived advantages of studying for the IB over A-levels? Back as far as 2002 it was claimed that the IB was the new gold standard for entry to the UK’s top universities, but why is the qualification held in such high regard?
There are a number of motivating factors which have influenced the success of the IB. For many children, making a dramatic life changing decision at the age of sixteen as to which subjects they wish to specialise in, represents a very difficult choice. Unless you are already committed to studying a clear vocational course e.g. medicine / veterinary science or architecture, it is too early to know which subjects to take at A-level and the IB provides an opportunity to keep options open for longer. Adopting the ‘neutral’ status of the country which represents its birthplace and remaining unaffected by any changes to the political agenda and government shake-ups is also seen as a clear advantage of the IB. This is an internationally recognised qualification governed by educationalists not politicians, which points to a very stable and eminently transferrable learning programme. The actual style of study is generally regarded as the best preparation for university and the workplace, encouraging independent thinking and the early development of strong organisational / time management skills. As we continue to witness the public outcry at the general demise of the mathematic skills of the current generation (in 2012 a leading academic, Professor Stephen Sparks, claimed British schoolchildren are less likely to study Maths to a high standard than in most other developed countries because of failings in the way the subject is delivered) alongside UK children’s inferior ability to speak a second language when compared to their European counterparts, it is pleasing to note that the IB requires its students to study Maths and Languages until the age of 18. The linear nature of the course (i.e. the fact that results are based on exams taken at the end of the course rather than at the end of each modular unit) is also viewed as the preferred learning strategy enabling more time to be spent on teaching and learning in the 6th Form than on taking exams. And of course, from a pupil perspective, the IB dispenses with the agony associated with the dreaded wait for A-level results. IB students learn their fate on the 6th July well ahead of the annual summer break, giving students plenty of time to get their university places confirmed, or if the need exists, to make alterative study plans.
Universities and employers have long applauded the value of the IB focusing on its academic rigour and its undisputable international currency. Five years ago Sir Mike Rake, Chairman of BT Group and President of the CBI, declared his belief that all school children should work towards an IB based qualification. The International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) highlights research commissioned by the British Council and Think Global, (two charities that promote international education) which suggests that three quarters of employers want young people to think ‘more globally’ in order to prevent UK industry lagging behind emerging economies such as China. If the statistics quoted in a report in The Telegraph in November 2012 still ring true (it refers to HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency data noting a 27% increase in the number of British students in jobs overseas during the period 2008 to 2011) looking ahead, competition for international jobs will be rife and pupils arming themselves with an internationally recognized qualification may well stand apart from the competition.
Almost fifty years since its inception, the IB looks like it has not only remained a future perfect educational qualification, it has grown in stature and evidence today exists to support the view that IB pupils are more likely to attend the top Higher Education Institutions, more likely to get a first class honours award and are more likely to get a higher paid job …
All that said, despite the IB’s strengths, it is not necessarily the right choice for every pupil. Regardless of its many advantages, some children will be more suited to a different study route to ensure their future. So whilst King Edward’s Witley remains an ardent advocate of the IB, the School will be offering the new reformed A-levels in 2015 to provide pupils who are less suited to this programme of study with an alternative route to higher education. King Edward’s Witley’s priority is, and always will be, to help students maximize their full potential at the School and this applies across the entire curriculum spanning academic studies as well as sporting and creative activities.
King Edward’s Witley is celebrating ten years of the IB Diploma this September. The School achieved an outstanding 100% pass rate in July 2014. An impressive 75% of grades in the exams were at the equivalent to A-level A*-B grades. The average score was 33.6 points, well above the national (and worldwide) average. These results are especially noteworthy given the fact that the School takes pride in its decision to welcome pupils from a diverse range of social, cultural and educational backgrounds, actively choosing to not just select the academic elite. Pupils of all abilities – arguably especially those not at the top end of the academic scale – benefit hugely from the superb preparation for university (both in terms of study and student life) that is intrinsically linked with the IB programme.
King Edward’s Witley has been presented with an Award by Best Schools UK which ranks it in the Top 10 of all-IB (Sixth Form) schools in the country.
Christine Meharg, director of IB at King Edward’s Witley.