Job Discussion Forums

Steinmann · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 3:08 am Post subject: IB Question

As I peruse job adverts, I sometimes run across International Baccalaureate experience as a desired qualification, especially for international schools. I'm having some difficulty wrapping my head around what exactly IB is. I'd also like to know how to get such experience and just how important such experience really is. I'm a little confused on this one.

Can anyone shed a little light on this for me?

Thanks, y'all.

tttompatz · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 3:13 am Post subject:

http://www.ibo.org/

.

Steinmann · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 3:35 am Post subject:

tttompatz · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 4:41 am Post subject:

Steinmann · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 5:20 am Post subject:

Dedicated · Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 972 Location: UK

Steinmann,

I'm not sure where you are based, but here in the UK, "A" levels have come under fire, ironically, because more students are getting As in them.
As a result, the academic elite has concluded that" A" levels must have been dumbed down so under a government directive schools have been encouraged to dump "A" levels and become IB academies.

For IB, students must study 6 subjects for 2 years, 3 at higher level and 3 at standard level, which must include Maths, a science, English and at least one foreign language. The language component includes an obligatory 4,000 word extended essay, world literature and theory of knowledge. So a student could study, for example, Spanish, Biology, Maths, English, Art and Anthropology. But what after??

"A" levels give more emphasis to individual subject knowledge whereas IB is broader and has the ethos of an educational style. If you want to do a degree in sciences, maths, or subjects with a high science content, such as medicine or engineering, you might be better off doing 3 "A" levels.

IB students have to do a compulsory CAS (Creativity, Action and Service) part, which is 50 hours of service to the community. Without this, you cannot get the certificate.

Th IB maximum score is 45, and only 65 students worldwide get this. The pass is 24 points but there is a 78% failure rate. Compare this to "A" levels !!!

I work at a high-ranking UK university and we snap up IB successful students, who are so much more flexible and better prepared for university work.

Steinmann · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 6:30 pm Post subject:

Thanks for that, Dedicated. So getting some working knowledge of the IB system would be beneficial to a fella wanting to hit the international schools circuit, then.

Dedicated · Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 972 Location: UK

Definitely, I would say. Try getting hold of IB revision guides:

http://www.osc-ib.com.

Big Worm · Joined: 02 Jan 2011 Posts: 171

There are many private IB schools that will hire people with no experience. They are genereally lower tier schools, but if you present well, you can get in.

Dedicated · Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 972 Location: UK

Big Worm wrote :

Steinmann · Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 5:59 pm Post subject:

johnslat · Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 6:20 pm Post subject:

Dear Steinmann.

I wondered about that, too:

The global pass rate for the IB diploma is approximately 80%.[39]

http://www.ibo.org/facts/21things/documents/21thingsyoushouldknowabouttheIBMarch08.pdf

And here's the latest info I could find, up to 2010: global pass rates

2006: 81.36%

2007: 81.29%

2008: 79.54%

2009: 80.22%

2010: 80.48%

http://www.ibo.org/facts/statbulletin/dpstats/documents/November2010Statisticalbulletin.pdf

Regards,
John

Dedicated · Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 972 Location: UK

Many apologies. I read my source incorrectly :

[url] http:// www.stclare's.ac.uk/ib/ibAlevel.php

The PASS rate is reported as 78%, not the failure rate.

Well spotted, Sherlock ! I'm glad some people read postings carefully !