Czechs need the IB Diploma

When the new, examined, state maturita began in 2010 there was not much thought given to the IB Diploma as an alternative model of matriculation in the Czech Republic. Instead we have a peculiar situation for Czech students who take either Czech Language and Literature or the full in the Republic that offer the IB Diploma, seven of them located in Prague. Despite being private three of those schools class themselves as a part of the Czech Grammar School system. These are Porg, Open Gate and The English College in Prague. The new state maturita introduced standardised exams to the Czech education system for the first time and this was a necessary move to ensure quality and consistency of outcomes. However, the IB Diploma was never considered as an alternative route to the maturita which resulted in a peculiar hybrid solution for Czech students. What makes it even more peculiar is that Czech education authorities accept gaining the qualification elsewhere in the EU as having full equivalence with the state maturita. If you complete the IB Diploma abroad there is no problem.

The solution is not neat and it is purely bureaucratic because it is focused entirely on outcomes and not the process by which those outcomes are met. It has focused on exams at the expense of the purpose of education in equipping today’s students to be the citizens of tomorrow in an ever-changing world. Reforming the maturita was a missed golden opportunity to introduce the possibility of schools being able to offer a diploma model that follows an educational philosophy suitable for the 21st century. It is also a model that has the potential to reform all aspects of state educational practice with support for teachers as well as students to gain relevant, necessary and current skills in teaching and learning as well as assessment practices. Before listing just what those skills are let us first of all look briefly to neighbouring countries in Central Europe. We inhabit a world where no country can close itself off from economic forces that transcend national barriers. In Slovakia the state school, Spojena skola Novohradska, in Bratislava runs the IB Diploma and in Hungary two state schools are doing the same thing. In Austria all ten schools offering the Diploma are private, but there are no additional stipulations imposed upon their students to be able to obtain state maturita recognition. The IBO, that runs the IB Diploma in fact has partnerships with many governments around the world. Canada is a prime example of a country that has fully embraced the model, it does extensive work in the USA, South East Asia and there are many other countries besides that are working with the IBO. This international qualification is internationally accepted and respected. Universities around the world accept it. A lot of that has to do with its core beliefs and educational philosophy that is fit for purpose when facing the challenges of an ever changing world.

Why then is the IB Diploma so relevant for our students? At its heart the diploma promotes independent and critical thinking. Students become more independent in their learning. It enables students to become more culturally aware and also helps with the development of a second language. They become better equipped to deal with people in an increasingly globalised and changing world. Through the adoption of the IB Learner Profile into their studies students become inquirers who are open-minded. They are thinkers who are knowledgeable, caring and able to communicate, are principled and reflective and also resourceful and resilient when faced with change and challenging situations. These are more than laudable claims and are achieved through subject activities, projects and assessments that require their full attention and engage them in learning and problem solving processes.

Teaching the diploma means that teachers adopt a student-centred approach and this is the powerful reforming influence of the IB Diploma. The programme would utterly fail without teachers reflecting on their practice and developing their skills in order to deliver the tenets of the IB Learner Profile. In effect, the IB Diploma makes learners of everybody in school which is in tune with the IB philosophy that everything changes, nothing stands still and everyone of us has to embrace and work with change.

The IBO website contains many interesting links to articles, resources and statistics. The diploma is extending beyond its traditional three delivery languages as well in working in Japan to enable many subjects to be offered in Japanese with the same happening in South Korea. Czech schools could benefit from IB Diploma subjects in the Czech language and Czech Language and Literature is already a well established main language subject. Students choose six subjects, one from each subject area of: language acquisition, language and literature, the arts, sciences, mathematics, individuals and societies. There is the core theory of knowledge, of studies in epistemology designed to get students to explore the nature of knowledge and understanding. In addition an extended essay offers the best development of skills for research and writing skills. This 16-19 curriculum also offers a community, action and service (CAS) component that is highly effective when it brings students directly in contact with projects in the community. CAS builds compassion and gives students a deeper understanding of the plights others face in their everyday lives.

This excellent coherent programme, with its focused outcomes and emphasis on practical skills that builds character, goes well beyond the more traditional model of imparting subject knowledge tested in state maturita examinations. In all respects the IB Diploma offers the framework to extend and challenge students whilst at the same time delivering educational reform in teaching and learning necessary for its successful implementation. It is a model of education that makes common sense because it states reasons and the need for change within a model that facilitates change. It is a model that is conscious that the world of tomorrow will be very different from the world of today where problem-solving skills and being able to think actively and critically will be as important as being able to recite facts and figures.

IB Diploma candidates who require the maturita this summer will have to sit their Czech exams twice over to qualify for it.  It is high time to reconsider the equivalence that the IB Diploma should have with the state maturita. It would open up the possibility for Czech state schools to examine the programme as an option and to take advantage of a complete and exciting educational philosophy currently enjoyed by some of Prague private grammar schools and every one of its International schools. It is possibly the best means of heralding in successful education reform that will equip the next generation of Czechs by equipping this generation’s teachers to deliver an exciting and innovative curriculum.