A Brief History of IB
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) is recognized throughout the world as a comprehensive and challenging high school curriculum. Ten member schools of the International Schools Association created the International Baccalaureate Organization in Geneva in 1963.
From 1963 through 1969 working parties, consisting of both university and secondary teachers, devised the various syllabi and prepared a set of examinations that was first administered on a trial basis in 1969.
Since the results met the expectations of the participating schools, negotiations with governments and a number of major universities were conducted. Consequently, the IB was recognized as a credential in lieu of national exams and as sufficient for university admission.
Though the process of introducing the IB to universities around the world would be a long one, the promotion of the program was facilitated more than anything by the high quality of preparation exhibited by IB graduates after they entered post-secondary education.
Currently, all IB Diploma students write common examinations with nearly 6500 trained examiners worldwide involved in the development, marking and moderation of assessments.
These external assessments are standardized throughout the world and because of this factor and because the IB assessments are designed to develop higher order cognitive skills, IB Diploma graduates enjoy excellent university recognition world-wide. The IB uses both external and internal assessment in the Diploma Program.
Today the IB Diploma Program with its mission – “to develop knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world” is offered in over 3400 schools in over 150 countries with over 185,000 students taking the IB examination each year.