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International Baccalaureate – Overview
The International Baccalaureate(IB) is an Education Board which is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. To start a revolution in education system, in 1968 a group of innovative teachers created the IB Diploma Programme to create a stepping stone for students planning to enter the universities to pursue higher education. It later grew into three programmes for students from the age of 3 to 19. The IB works real time in development of the curriculum, assessment of the students, training and professional development of the teachers and authorisation and evaluation of schools.

The Mission
The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
IB has been true to its mission and is a firm believer of restoration of ones culture and tradition to be able to understand the culture of different countries and places. This in turn helps the students a great deal in understanding the psyche of people to walk on the path of peace equipped with international understanding and fraternity, which is purely lacking in today’s world.

The Programmes
The IB has three programmes to offer for students aged 3 to 19. It is not mandatory to include all the programmes offered by IB Council by a particular school. An IB World School can choose and opt for the programme it deems fit for the school and the students. There are presently 3004 IB World Schools around the world imparting quality education in 139 countries.
689 IB World Schools offer the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for students aged 3 to 12. The Primary Years Programme(PYP)started in 1997.
789 IB World Schools offer the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students aged 11 to 16. The Middle Years Programme(MYP) started in 1994.
2,172 IB World Schools offer the Diploma Programme(DP) for students aged 16 to 19. The Diploma Programme started in 1968 with first examinations being held in 1970.
The functions of IB are divided into 3 distinct regions. IB Americas includes North and South America, IB Asia Pacific includes North, South andEast Asia, and the island countries on the Pacific and Europe, Africa and Middle East(Asia) form IB Africa Europe Middle East

Why IB?
– They offer three unique programmes for students aged 3 to 19.
– They have an excellent reputation for high quality education for over 40 years.
– They encourage international-mindedness in IB students.
– They encourage a positive attitude to learning by encouraging students to ask questions, to develop thinking and leadership skills and to work as a team.
– They ensure that IB programmes are accessible to students worldwide.

Sustenance
IB is registered in Switzerland and it is a non-profit organisation that strives to bring world class practical education to every aspiring student. Its main source of income are authorization and evaluation fees of IB aspirants. The money raised through workshops and conferences held around the world is used in further development programmes of IB. The various publications also add to the IB fund. School fees and examination fees form an integral part of IB’s income too.

IB and India
There are 70 IB World Schools in India providing one or more of the three IB programmes. India has 19 schools offering the Primary Years Programme , 7 schools offering the Middle Years Programme and 66 schools offer the Diploma Programme. The first school to be included in the IB Programme was in 1976. The IB system of education is gradually gaining momemtum in India due to the old system of education in India that has now become almost irrelevent in the modern concept and obsolete. Owing to the competition faced from internationaleducation system, India is trying to pull up its socks to bring up the level of education in India. Recent changes in the CBSE Board testify the above statement.
The blockbuster Hindi movie, ‘3 Idiots’ released in 2009 dealt with issues related to learning by rote and mocked at the education system of India and all the social constraints attached to practical approach to learning. The success of the movie clearly depicts the acceptance of the actors in the movie struggling to change the eucation system to do what one loves and to love what one is doing.
It is high time that India raises the standard of education with practical approach to stand at par with the world which is full of competition. The curriculum of IB World Schools that deals not only with learning from the book but also through research and development that train the young minds to think and answer logically is a perfect answer to the need of a revolution in education in India. IB therefore, is gaining popularity every second in India. The conventional approach to education in India needs a full-fledged re-shuffle in India. Indians can only hope and wish that the steps taken by Kapil Sibal, Minister for Human Resource Development, towards a bright future for education system in India is relayed from one year to another inspite of inevitable changes in the Government and the ministers.

Some of the schools in India that have gone under the IB umbrella and offer all the three programmes provided by IB are given below.

1)Choithram International
5 Manik Bagh Road
Choithram Hospital Campus
Indore

2)Ecole Mondiale World School
9th Gulmohar Cross Rd
JVPD Scheme
Gulmohar
Vile Parle West
Juhu, Mumbai

3)Mercedes-Benz International School
Plot No. P-26
Pune Infotech Park
Phase 1, MIDC
Hinjawadi
Pune, Maharashtra

4)Navrachana International School
Bhayali
Vadodara
Gujarat