Expensive substitute: International baccalaureate gaining popularity

Twin cities slightly late in catching up with new trend in education

ISLAMABAD: Gone are the days when O and A levels were elitist educational programmes in the twin cities. The introduction of the international baccalaureate (IB) has changed things, giving parents more options to pick in terms of schooling their children.

IB’s website states it is a non-profit educational foundation that was founded in 1968. It offers four programmes of international education that develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills needed to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalising world, it states further.



It is a practice-based learning that relies less on books and memorising of concepts and more on practical knowledge and experience based learning.

The system is categorised into three different programmes that cater three distinct age groups. The Primary Year Programme (PYP) caters to primary education till fifth grade. The Middle Year Programme (MYP) is aimed at students that fall in the age group of 11 to 16 years. Finally, the Diploma Programme (DP), which is equivalent to a high school or O/A levels, caters to students in the age bracket of 16 to 19 years.

The programme gets more challenging, refined and rigorous as the stages advance; however, the basic learning styles remain the same with immense stress on experience-based learning. The IB system also stresses on different languages and encourages students to pick at least one foreign language to study.

Maheen Khan, a student’s mother, told The Express Tribune that IB seems like the new-age educational programme, but is very expensive as compared to normal private education that leads to O and A levels. “IB fee starts at Rs25,000, which is quite high and not affordable for the masses, otherwise it does seem like a great option for students,” she added.

Khan’s concerns seem valid as even though the programme will create more educational options for students, it will create an even bigger divide among the socio-economic classes. It already seems like a status symbol and a luxury that can be afforded only by rich.



Educationists also admit that the programme is expensive but justify it by explaining its benefits. Fatima Rizvi, a director at Global System of Integrated Studies school, which is introducing IB this academic year, told The Express Tribune that she was introduced to the system while studying in the UK.

“It did not take me long to get convinced by the philosophy of education. It is based on the ethos of holistic development of every child and recognising the different learning styles of every learner. It is a breath of fresh air in the current educational scenario. It will take some time for parents and teachers to adapt, but I see a very bright future of IB in Pakistan,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17^th, 2015.