World leader in International Education leads a conversation on quality education in Africa

A delegation of senior officials from The International Baccalaureate (IB) is visiting Johannesburg with the objective of connecting, strengthening and developing the IB community in Africa. Representatives from existing IB World Schools will be joining the delegation to discuss the needs of schools on the African continent and how more schools can benefit from delivering an IB education to their students.

Additionally, the IB is organising an Education Forum that will bring together educators from higher education institutions in the region to discuss international education and the future of the educational landscape. Dr. Pinkie Mekgwe, Executive Director at the University of Johannesburg will be the keynote speaker and will consider the topic of internationalisation of higher education and student mobility in Africa.

The IB is a recognized leader in the field of international education and offers four challenging programmes for pupils aged 3 to 19. Each programme includes a curriculum and pedagogy, student assessment appropriate to the age range, professional development for teachers and a process of school authorization and evaluation. There has been a long history of the IB in Africa since the International School Moshi became the first school in Africa to offer the Diploma Programme in 1977. In South Africa the first school to be authorized was the American International School of Johannesburg in 1994, offering the IB Diploma Programme. Growth has been constant and today 72 schools across 26 countries in Africa offer a total of 108 programmes. In South Africa the IB Diploma Programme is recognized by Higher Education South Africa as a suitable qualification for entry to higher education institutions.

The IB is renowned for working with governments around the world in projects that can help raise the standards of local educational needs. One such project in Ecuador has seen over 6000 heads and teachers from state schools benefit from attending IB professional development workshops and being introduced to quality pedagogy.

While international in nature, the IB places great importance on emphasizing local context. For instance all IB schools are required to have a language policy which also encourages use and appreciation of the mother tongue. IB students and teachers are encouraged to explore both local and global issues, including developmentally appropriate aspects of the environment, development, conflicts, rights and cooperation and governance.

Regional Director Adrian Kearney explains “Globally engaged people critically consider power and privilege, and recognize that they hold the earth and its resources in trust for future generations. The symposium will be an opportunity for those schools interested in the IB to learn more about the programmes and to meet with IB staff as they deliver an overview of the IB continuum of education”.

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About the International Baccalaureate

Founded in 1968, the International Baccalaureate (IB) is a non-profit foundation, which offers four high quality and challenging education programmes for a worldwide community of schools. For more than 45 years, the IB programmes have gained a reputation for rigour and high academic standards, for preparing students for life in a globalized 21^st century and for helping to develop citizens who will create a better, more peaceful world. Currently, more than one million IB students attend over 3,740 schools in 147 countries   www.ibo.org

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