International Baccalaureate Leads Expansion in India and Hosts WACP Summit
New Delhi : The International Baccalaureate (IB) is pursuing growth efforts throughout India to increase access for all students to obtain a high quality, global-minded education. IB Executive Leadership arrived in New Delhi to attend the World Academy of Career Programmes (WACP) School Leaders Summit in Aerocity, focused on the Career-related Programme (CP) and its advantages for Indian students to thrive personally and professionally, and advance their position in the global economy.
The Summit, titled ‘The IB advantage for the new era of education,’ brought together school leaders, educators, and industry professionals to share insights and best practices to advance the future of education, in India and beyond. Experts in educational reform delved into avenues for Career-related Programme advancement and shared innovative frameworks to prepare students to be competitive in higher education and the career of their choice. Over 200 students and educators attended the event along with education and executive leadership from the IB and WACP.
Beyond the Career-related Programme, the IB recently signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to introduce the IB curriculum in schools throughout the region. IB Executive Leadership conducted additional school and government administrative meetings during their time in New Delhi in pursuit of complementary collaborations with new regions throughout India. The IB is prepared to support Indian governments and institutions in creating the conditions necessary to foster critical thinking, autonomous learning and global-mindedness among students, to prepare them to excel as leaders addressing the world’s greatest challenges in the years ahead.
“The IB has been operating in India since 1976 with over 378 IB programmes across more than 220 schools. It has successfully launched several prominent programmes in schools across major cities in India, including Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Coimbatore, and many others. Our collaboration with WACP provides an opportunity for schools to gain deeper insights into the unique CP qualification and how its curriculum can empower both students and teachers to better prepare for the evolving demands of the future workforce,” said Haif Bannayan, Global Director of Business Development, IB.
In 2023, India is slated to become the largest country in terms of population, enabling it to become the largest contributor to the global workforce for the next several decades. Over the next five years, the IB intends to expand into over 450 additional schools in India including the inception of 100 new CP schools to best serve and support students as the leaders of tomorrow. Recognized by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), the Career-related Programme offers an innovative blend of academic study and career-related skills that opens doors for all students to access economic prosperity. Enrolled students take a minimum of two IB Diploma Programme (DP) courses, a core consisting of four components and a career-related study.
Through the expansion of Career-related Programme and other IB programmes throughout India, the IB aims to support young people and educators through rigorous curricula designed to provide students with the skills they need to be future ready and lead the advancements most needed in the world, today and in the years to come.