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What you need to know about the International Baccalaureate program

Find out if this challenging program is right for your child

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Originally published in Today's Parent December 2011

When mom of three Judy Matheson heard that a new enriched educational program was being offered at her eldest daughter’s high school in Eastern Passage, NS, she was thrilled.

Renowned worldwide for its high school diploma program (offered in grades 11 and 12), the International Baccalaureate (IB) is growing in popularity across Canada. “It’s a well-rounded liberal arts program that encourages students to strive for excellence and to help others through community service — two wonderful goals,” says Anne Dale, IB coordinator at Weston Collegiate in Toronto. To earn an IB diploma, students must devote their final two years of high school to the program, which requires English and another language, math, science, social studies and art, plus a course on theory of knowledge, a 4,000-word essay and at least 50 hours of community service. Three of the six subjects chosen are studied at a higher level than standard high school courses  — 240 teaching hours as opposed to 150. That can mean more than four hours of homework a night.

Two lesser-known IB programs geared to younger pupils are also starting to gain ground: the primary years program, which runs from junior kindergarten to grade five, and the middle years program, for students in grades six to 10. The curriculum for all three age groups focuses on the development of critical-thinking skills.

IB started in 1968 at an international school in Switzerland for the children of diplomats, military personnel and business executives based outside their home countries. Currently, there are 3,307 schools around the world, more than 300 of them in Canada, that offer one or more of the three IB programs. Students can also opt to take a selection of IB certificate courses in their areas of strength or interest, rather than the entire diploma program.

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