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Jason McBride, head of school at IGB International School, shares more about the importance of taking action
For most families around the world, making a decision about where and how their child will be educated—for those fortunate enough to have access to schooling—is relatively simple; children attend the school closest to where they live as part of the public education system. For many other families, however, they are both fortunate to have, and challenged by, the options that exist when choosing a school, curriculum and community for their children. Do you put them in the same system or school you went to? Do you opt for another country’s curriculum so they can have additional options at graduation? Do you find a school that is educating for the 21st century, and what does that even look like?
Here in Malaysia, there are a multitude of options and understanding the difference between philosophies and approaches can be difficult. Having been with International Baccalaureate (IB) schools for more than two decades, I have seen firsthand the variety of ways in which IB schools—particularly schools that offer the full continuum of programmes from the early years through to Grade 12—differ from UK, US, Australian and other curricular approaches; differences that can be integral to thriving in both the present and future.
Regardless of whether you believe schools exist to prepare students for university, the world of work, to be a member of society, to make better choices for themselves, others and the planet, a combination thereof or something entirely different, the reality is that many schools still follow the 19th and 20th century’s educational template; give students material, test students’ recall of the material, rate and rank the students, and repeat. This is how I went through school and likely how you did as well, but it’s just not enough.
This outdated model, still seen prevalently in many types of schools systems that rely heavily on testing and centralised standards—sometimes from a context on the other side of the planet—does not treat students like the individuals they are, nor do they teach through concepts that are universally applicable regardless of the student’s background or beliefs. Beyond those two incredibly important factors that are cornerstones for the IB’s programmes for students of all ages, however, it is the central role of Action that really separates an IB education from just about any other.
In school assemblies, in newsletters and on Open Days, I often talk to students, current and prospective parents about the fact that if we are able to get students into the best universities, but if they aren’t compelled to do anything with their skills, knowledge and interests to make the world a little better, then we would have largely failed in our responsibility as a school.
Although the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) is considered to be the most rigorous of all K12 paths to graduation around the world—and IGB International School (IGBIS) was the highest scoring school in all of Malaysia in 2022 with an average IBDP score of 40, eight points above the world average—it’s not the scores that matter most in an IB education, it’s what you do with it.
