IB students and alumni from all over the world join together to discuss the burning issues in international education. The results are enlightening.
Some of the greatest ideas on education come from those receiving it. Using video conferencing, we brought together 12 IB students and alumni from all four corners of the globe, and asked them to analyse the key issues in education. Our volunteers champion the IB’s holistic approach to learning, and the contagious passion of teachers and other students. They stress the need for students to look beyond their national boundaries, and to learn valuable lessons from global cultures. They describe how the IB has encouraged them to be confident and more creative, to take risks, to manage their time effectively, to embrace technology, and to think independently. They highlight how it’s imperative that young females the world over receive access to education. As one alumna says: “Education is the spark that starts it all.” This article was first published in the special 50th anniversary edition of IB World magazine. The artwork and illustrations for this article were created by Paddy Mills.
IB students and alumni from all over the world join together to discuss the burning issues in international education. The results are enlightening.
Some of the greatest ideas on education come from those receiving it. Using video conferencing, we brought together 12 IB students and alumni from all four corners of the globe, and asked them to analyse the key issues in education. Our volunteers champion the IB’s holistic approach to learning, and the contagious passion of teachers and other students. They stress the need for students to look beyond their national boundaries, and to learn valuable lessons from global cultures. They describe how the IB has encouraged them to be confident and more creative, to take risks, to manage their time effectively, to embrace technology, and to think independently. They highlight how it’s imperative that young females the world over receive access to education. As one alumna says: “Education is the spark that starts it all.” This article was first published in the special 50th anniversary edition of IB World magazine. The artwork and illustrations for this article were created by Paddy Mills.
Why is international education so important?
“On an international level, our problems are becoming more complex and are going to require teamwork to solve them. That teamwork isn’t going to be with someone living across the street from you, it’s going to be with people from other countries with different backgrounds. So we need to teach students how to work with people who might not necessarily have the same beliefs as them.”
Matthew Ferby
DP graduate
Harding University High School
Charlotte, USA
“On an international level, our problems are becoming more complex and are going to require teamwork to solve them. That teamwork isn’t going to be with someone living across the street from you, it’s going to be with people from other countries with different backgrounds. So we need to teach students how to work with people who might not necessarily have the same beliefs as them.”
Matthew Ferby
DP graduate
Harding University High School
Charlotte, USA
“Education has to be inclusive, regardless of your [social] background and the place you live. We should try to expose ideas to children early on so that they’re not excluded from progress or from the personal adventure of learning. This will help us become a global community. Education is the spark that starts it all.”
Irene Fanning
DP graduate
St. Catherine’s Moorlands
Buenos Aires, Argentina
“Education has to be inclusive, regardless of your [social] background and the place you live. We should try to expose ideas to children early on so that they’re not excluded from progress or from the personal adventure of learning. This will help us become a global community. Education is the spark that starts it all.”
Irene Fanning
DP graduate
St. Catherine’s Moorlands
Buenos Aires, Argentina
How has the IB benefited you?
“The non-academic component is the core of the IB. It gives you a more holistic approach to learning. I feel it’s given me a greater love of learning both inside and outside the classroom. I’m learning how to think. The learning experience makes me want to wake up and go to school every day.”
Esha Mardikar
DP student
IGB International School
Sungai Buloh, Malaysia
“The non-academic component is the core of the IB. It gives you a more holistic approach to learning. I feel it’s given me a greater love of learning both inside and outside the classroom. I’m learning how to think. The learning experience makes me want to wake up and go to school every day.”
Esha Mardikar
DP student
IGB International School
Sungai Buloh, Malaysia
“If you know what career you want, the IB Career-related Programme (CP) helps you prepare for that earlier than other students. This gives you an advantage when you get to university… My knowledge of accounting might prove to be greater than that of my friends at university since I’ll have studied it before them… It also gives me the chance to do an internship in a company for one month. Some of the things you learn during an internship cannot be learnt in a classroom.”
Harsh Sadarangani
CP student
The Gandi Memorial International School Jakarta
Jakarta, Indonesia
“If you know what career you want, the IB Career-related Programme (CP) helps you prepare for that earlier than other students. This gives you an advantage when you get to university… My knowledge of accounting might prove to be greater than that of my friends at university since I’ll have studied it before them… It also gives me the chance to do an internship in a company for one month. Some of the things you learn during an internship cannot be learnt in a classroom.”
Harsh Sadarangani
CP student
The Gandi Memorial International School Jakarta
Jakarta, Indonesia
What’s been the most memorable lesson you have taken from IB education so far?
“My most memorable lesson has been my theory of knowledge (TOK) lesson. I was able to participate in discussions, and add constructive points. It was really rewarding because it expanded my thinking.”
Sacha Winter
DP graduate
Presbyterian Ladies’ College
Perth, Australia
“My most memorable lesson has been my theory of knowledge (TOK) lesson. I was able to participate in discussions, and add constructive points. It was really rewarding because it expanded my thinking.”
Sacha Winter
DP graduate
Presbyterian Ladies’ College
Perth, Australia
“Our school staged the play Fiddler on the Roof, and I was given the lead role. The experience developed me as a person. I used to be very timid but performing the play greatly boosted my self-confidence. It helped me achieve IB learner goals such as risk-taking and being balanced because I had to divide my time between studies and play practice.”
Daniel Rai Chuardy
DP student
The Gandhi Memorial International School Bali
Denparsar, Indonesia
“Our school staged the play Fiddler on the Roof, and I was given the lead role. The experience developed me as a person. I used to be very timid but performing the play greatly boosted my self-confidence. It helped me achieve IB learner goals such as risk-taking and being balanced because I had to divide my time between studies and play practice.”
Daniel Rai Chuardy
DP student
Gandhi Memorial International School Bali
Denparsar, Indonesia
What do you think have been the biggest changes in education in recent years?
“The biggest changes in education are the high expectations that teachers and parents have, and the high standards that society demands. Education needs to prepare good citizens who will be intelligent, will develop society, and change the world.”
Dina Mussabayeva
MYP student
Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Astana
Astana, Kazakhstan
“The biggest changes in education are the high expectations that teachers and parents have, and the high standards that society demands. Education needs to prepare good citizens who will be intelligent, will develop society, and change the world.”
Dina Mussabayeva
MYP student
Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Astana
Astana, Kazakhstan
“Information is now so accessible. A lot of subjects can be researched on the internet. Social media also helps students learn about their subjects.”
Nathan Chan
CP student
The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts
Hong Kong, China
“Information is now so accessible. A lot of subjects can be researched on the internet. Social media also helps students learn about their subjects.”
Nathan Chan
CP student
The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts
Hong Kong, China
How do you expect the education sector to be challenged over the next 20 years?
“I think students should be encouraged more to explore the type of industries they want to eventually go into. That’s the good thing about learning the CP: it allows you to gain both knowledge and the experience you need [in your chosen field].”
Hossam Kalada
CP student
Westminster Academy
London, UK
“My dad grew up in Somalia in Africa. He had to leave his village and travel long distances to go to his school. He had to stay there overnight. With modern technology you could have entire curriculums on laptops and give it to children in [remote] villages [bringing education to them]. No, it might not be the same as having a teacher you can talk to, but it would allow children to be educated without having to leave their villages for long periods of time and compromise their cultures.”
Fatima Suleiman
DP graduate
Colonel By Secondary School
Ottawa, Canada
“I think students should be encouraged more to explore the type of industries they want to eventually go into. That’s the good thing about learning the CP: it allows you to gain both knowledge and the experience you need [in your chosen field].”
Hossam Kalada
CP student
Westminster Academy
London, UK
“My dad grew up in Somalia in Africa. He had to leave his village and travel long distances to go to his school. He had to stay there overnight. With modern technology you could have entire curriculums on laptops and give it to children in [remote] villages [bringing education to them]. No, it might not be the same as having a teacher you can talk to, but it would allow children to be educated without having to leave their villages for long periods of time and compromise their cultures.”
Fatima Suleiman
DP graduate
Colonel By Secondary School
Ottawa, Canada
What’s your educational idea to change the world?
“Look at the whole world, right now. The number of females denied education because of cultural or historical traditions – it’s quite frankly disgraceful. We as a civilization need to place much greater focus on ensuring that every single girl in the world has access to education. Right now we are not giving females, especially in developing countries, as much access to education as they rightly deserve.”
Thomas Pewtress
DP student
Wesley College
Melbourne, Australia
“If we focus on educating people in developing countries, I feel new ideas will surface; ideas which could really change the world. People in developing nations have seen the world in a different light but have never been able to express themselves. Once educated, they will be able to offer their solutions to some of the big problems we have right now.”
Ilann Balagangadharan
DP student
Munich International School
Munich, Germany
“Look at the whole world, right now. The number of females denied education because of cultural or historical traditions – it’s quite frankly disgraceful. We as a civilization need to place much greater focus on ensuring that every single girl in the world has access to education. Right now we are not giving females, especially in developing countries, as much access to education as they rightly deserve.”
Thomas Pewtress
DP student
Wesley College
Melbourne, Australia
“If we focus on educating people in developing countries, I feel new ideas will surface; ideas which could really change the world. People in developing nations have seen the world in a different light but have never been able to express themselves. Once educated, they will be able to offer their solutions to some of the big problems we have right now.”
Ilann Balagangadharan
DP student
Munich International School
Munich, Germany
This article was first published in IB World magazine. If you’re at an IB World School, look out for a complimentary copy of the print magazine or read the full issue online—it’s our special edition for the IB’s 50th anniversary year.