Before You Enroll: Getting to Know the International Baccalaureate Program
In the Philippines, it’s a tough enough job to provide an excellent education for your child. An important decision you might have to make is whether to be content with the current curriculum of your child’s school or enrol them in an additional program.
One of the most popular programs that some parents sign up their kid for is the International Baccalaureate Program (IB). In a nutshell, the IB is a two-year program developed in Switzerland. The IB program is designed to give children enrolled in it the chance to earn college credits by taking challenging college-level courses and tests. It’s prescribed for students aged 16 -19 and is supposed to help get them accepted into a university with an internationally-recognised diploma.
Let’s weigh the pros and cons of getting your child into the International Baccalaureate Program.
The Pros
International Recognition
An IB diploma is internationally respected. Once your child passes the IB with flying colours, they can apply for admission to the top universities in almost 90 countries. Their chances of being admitted are also higher than the average applicant without an IB diploma.
Students Can Earn College Credits
If your child does well in courses covered in their IB program, they can use these scores as credits to skip classes and advance to higher levels.
This is usually voluntary. Kids who took the IB often breeze through the class if they’ve already taken the program previously, so some universities allow the use of IB credits to skip them.
IB Takers Develop a Strong Work Ethic
Even before getting admitted to a university, your child can develop a strong work ethic.; That’s because an essential part of completing the program is to pass the Extended Essay, a 4,000-word essay related to one of the subjects the student is taking.
IB Takers Become Well-Rounded Students
The IB program emphasizes on essay writing and developing critical thinking skills. Students in the program are encouraged to view their course holistically and create a 4,000-word essay on one of their subjects. Another core feature of the program is the CAS,which is the Creativity, Activity, Service component. It encourages creative thinking, engagement in arts, and a sense of social responsibility.
The Cons
High Cost
The Philippines has schools that offer the IB program, but they can be expensive. There’s an annual registration cost of USD170 (P8,500) and a fee of USD720 to take the six exams.
Having your kid take an IB program locally is estimated to cost anywhere between P350,000 to P1.4 million, compared with paying tuition without the IB program, which can range from P120,000 to P250,000 only.
Challenging for Teens
The IB program takes two years to complete, and your child will have to study, prepare, write and take tests for this on top of their high school classes.
They’ll be taking on more work, and may not have much time off after class. They will also have to study and take tests during their summer break.
On paper, the International Baccalaureate program seems to be an attractive proposition for your child, as it gives them better chances for admission into the university, and teaches them how to be critical thinkers early on. Your kid can benefit greatly from the IB program, but only if certain factors are present.
If money is not an issue and your child is adamant about studying abroad for university, then consider enrolling them in the program. Note also that your child must consistently earn top marks in the program, as college admissions committees may bypass a low-scoring IB diploma holder. If they don’t score high enough in the program, they may lose their slot to non-IB HS graduates with high grades.
Sit down with your child for a serious talk about enrolling them in an IB program, and consult their High School Counsellor if they’re fit to take it on.