The International Baccalaureate has educated over 1 million students since it was founded 55 years ago, earning a reputation for quality education, high standards, consistent and rigorous assessment, and leadership in international education. It synthesises the best research and practice from a range of national systems with the wealth of knowledge and experience in international schools. The IB’s programmes for students aged 3 to 19 help develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalising world. At present there are a further 1 million IB students at over 5200 schools in 158 countries studying the PYP, MYP and Diploma programmes.
IB Mission Statement
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.
To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.
These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
Throughout all IB programmes, students develop approaches to learning skills and the attributes of the IB learner profile.
Students are able to take responsibility for their own learning and understand how knowledge itself is constructed. They are encouraged to try different approaches to learning and to take responsibility for their own educational progress.
Our programmes help IB students:
- ask challenging questions
- think critically
- develop research skills proven to help them in higher education.
IB programmes also encourage students to be active in their communities and to take their learning beyond academic study.
Note that students can enter the PYP, MYP and Diploma programmes from other educational systems anywhere in the world. Students can also move from PYP and MYP to other programmes.
UWC East AfricA and the iB
In 1977, International School Moshi became the first school in Africa to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP). It was only the 32nd school in the entire world to do so…..Less than three years after it began offering the IB Diploma Programme, the International School Moshi would pay a pivotal role in establishing the Middle Years Programme (MYP).”*
UWC East Africa was instrumental in the future development of the MYP worldwide during the early 1980s, and we are proud of our historical legacy with the IB.
One of the great advantages that the IB has recognised and benefited from since its inception, has been the creative professionalism of its teachers. Innovative and committed teachers of IB programmes, including many at UWC East Africa, from many different cultures, have played a very significant role in the development of each programme and they have clearly believed in a style of teaching that not only stimulates curiosity, inquiry, reflection and critical thinking, but also promotes the development of empathy. Some of UWC East Africa’s teachers, past and present, are IB subject trainers, examiners, programme trainers, trained members of IB authorization teams and IB consultants.
* [Reference Kearney, Adrian (2012), Regional Director of the IB, Welcome Address at the IB Symposium , Accra, Ghana]