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Why IB is a holistic approach

Over the past few years there has been a surge in interest in IB as a board.

Why IB is a holistic approach


Sanjay Arora

Over the past few years there has been a surge in interest in IB as a board. The idea of an International Board has come in India, but due to certain unaddressable factors, there still are a lot of  doubts and myths regarding this system, especially vis a vis  the Indian boards CBSE  and ICSE. Generally its advantages end up being both neglected and forgotten. Some of the advantages of the International Baccalaureate system are listed below:

1Optimum utilisation of right and left brain faculties: The left hemisphere of a person’s brain controls rationality, and is associated with being more methodical and scientific. The right hemisphere of the brain is associated with creativity, artistic nature, and a person with this faculty in prime is a more open-minded thinker. CBSE and ICSE broadly follow rote-learning system which utilises the left hemisphere of a person’s brain more, leaving the right side unused. However, in IB, the learning process involves adequate and equal use of both the hemispheres. The left hemisphere is used for retaining information, and the IB system of education allows for critical thinking, out-of-the-box thinking, and individual creativity, which tests the right side of the brain. 

2The internship culture: A growing thing nowadays for school students is the idea of an internship — where they can get hands-on knowledge about different  learn hands-on about what they want to do in the future. The specialty of IB is how you are indirectly pushed to do internships and gain some hands-on learning. Unlike any other board which forces you to study and study alone, IB will push students to go for internships. Since IB schools are mandated to have a team for college admissions counselling, they recommend internships wholly to students.

3 The hands-on learning culture: In IB unlike in any other board, subjects are taught in a more hands-on learning methodology. Instead of just mugging up the entire textbook, IB makes students do both theoretical work by studying textbooks, and hands-on learning in the form of Internal Assessments, Lab work, and by the Design Thinking Process. IN the sciences, lab work is mandatory, and an entire chapter of the IB textbook will be devoted to lab work. As a part of every chapter, lab work is done for proper understanding. In the humanities subjects, the Internal Assessments account for application of concepts and knowledge in a practical manner for better understanding, such as assignments in the Learner Portfolio, and the Design Thinking Process. 

For languages, orals are mandatory for every student, where both internal and external examiners will come and take the test for the student.

4 The college/university styled learning: Unlike ICSE and CBSE, IB students are taught, graded, and fine tuned in a system of learning which is closer to universities and colleges. This comes in the forms of the Learner Portfolio which has 10 traits: principled, reflective, risk-takers, knowledgeable, caring, open-minded, inquirer, communicator, balanced, thinker. These traits are such that are needed in colleges, which gives the IB student an upper hand in their higher education. IB students also have an easier transition to university from school compared to other boards. Plus, other traits like critical thinking, innovation, empathy, international-mindedness etc. give the IB student the upper hand in getting both better education, and getting into better universities. More on that later.

5The advantage of IB in the international college system: With all the above-mentioned traits, it would be natural for an IB student to get an advantage in the college admission system in foreign universities. 

In the US, colleges follow a point system for comparing applicants and choosing prospective students. 

Just by the virtue of having done IB and receiving its diploma, a student will get an advantage of four points, which is massive. 

In the UK and Europe, IB students are given the advantage and preference in the admission process for the easier transition into university, and the better skillsets and more complete education. Also, since what is taught in IB is not so different from university, the  students are it an advantageous position vis a vis others. 

In comparison, CBSE and ICSE students have to have a massive change from school to college. While this does not mean that CBSE and ICSE students can’t go to good universities, they’ll have to put in a lot more effort into developing the required skillset.

IB is clearly better for both universities abroad, and in developing lifelong skills which make us better humans. IB excels in that. Better college placements, more complete growth and education, and a more-future oriented syllabus makes IB the perfect choice for a modern education board. While it is less suited for India, it is perfect for college abroad. In a nutshell, if you want to go abroad for your education, IB is the better choice.

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