The Rise of International Baccalaureate In India

The International Baccalaureate High School Diploma is rapidly gaining popularity among Indian pupils and parents, according to a report in the U.S newspaper, the New York Times.

The number of schools across India offering IB grew from 10 in 2002 to 97 in 2012, according to the International Baccalaureate Organization. Within India, Mumbai leads other cities in program growth, with 38 IB programs offered in 2012, up from 14 five years earlier. It is followed by Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Delhi.

The popularity of IB has grown, according to those interviewed for the report, as a result of its focus on flexibility and openness.  This stands in contrast to the more rigid, test-driven approach traditionally associated with Indian teaching methods.

Ritu Joshi, a parent interviewed for the report said that: “Skill requirements have changed for the workplace. We now need out-of-the-box thinking.’‘

She added that Indian state board schools “were needed during that Industrial Age type of thinking which was highly process-driven.”

That it is teenagers in the developing world looking to study in the West is key to understanding the growth of the IB over local programs. However, others are looking to the IB as a modern alternative to local systems that are more based on rote learning.

In the UAE there are currently 45 schools that implement elements of the International Baccalaureate curriculum – the highest number in the region. Of these schools, 24 are listed as fully accredited by the governing body in Geneva, Switzerland, on the IBO website.  

The full New York Times article on the growth of IB in India can be found here.