In response to recent press coverage claiming that the IB is falling out of favour.

Mrs Sandra Morton, Chair, IB Schools and Colleges Association has made the following response.

To The Editor,

The article concerning the International Baccalaureate in The Times last Saturday needs clarification. Whilst it is clearly the decision of an individual institution to decide on the curriculum that it feels is most appropriate for its students, we should remind ourselves of the reasons why the IB Diploma is being offered in our schools and colleges.

Obviously the issue of university recognition is of great importance so it is worth re-emphasising that all universities actively accept the IB as a qualification and, in particular, recognise its value as a programme. This is clearly demonstrated in the Higher Educational Statistical Agency’s research last year that confirms that IB students are more likely to go to a ‘top 20’ university, more likely to achieve a first or upper second class degree and less likely to ‘drop out’ of university.

Moreover, universities’ enthusiasm for the IB Diploma is clearly evident. Professor Alice Roberts from Birmingham University, and also a well-known BBC personality, was reported in the media last week as saying that the International Baccalaureate ‘… often acted as a better preparation for science and medicine degrees than A-levels’ and she continued, ‘Of the students I saw applying to medical school, the ones that had done the IB seemed to be more rounded individuals’.

IB schools offer the IB Diploma for reasons that go way beyond being a simple university entrance examination. A school sixth form is not just about preparing a student for what happens at 18; it is about ensuring students thrive at university and feel confident and well-equipped to embrace future challenges.  IB schools are preparing students for life beyond university as much as helping them to be successful whilst they are there. Professor Wolf, in evidence to the education select committee, has said that university tutors are increasingly complaining that first year students are not ready for their university studies.

It is common acceptance that the IB’s diversity prepares students well for the future. Equally key to this is the IB’s focus on placing learning within an international context so future leaders of business and industry have the vision and confidence to fully embrace opportunities within national and international communities. The importance of these attributes to employers is highlighted in the British Council’s recent publication “Cultivating a global outlook for a global economy”.

To simply view the IB Diploma as a ‘university entrance qualification’ does not do justice to this programme.

Sandra Morton
Chair, IB Schools & Colleges Association