IB Philosophy

The International Baccalaureate Organization

The International Baccalaureate Organization was founded in 1968 with what is now called the Diploma Program. The IBO added the Middle Years Program in 1994, the Primary Years Program in 1997, and the Career Related Program in 2012. As of 2020, IB programs are found in over 5000 schools around the world.

The IBO's mission statement is below:

The International Baccalaureate® aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Learner Profile

The Learner Profile is the heart of all IB programs. The Learner Profile attributes aim to develop learners who are:

  • Inquirers

  • Knowledgeable

  • Thinkers

  • Communicators

  • Principled

  • Open-minded

  • Caring

  • Risk-takers

  • Balanced

  • Reflective

Approaches to Learning

IB's Approaches to Learning are a list of broad skills to be developed by students in all IB programs. The Approaches to Learning (and the sub-skills which apply to high school IB programs) are:

  • Communication Skills

    • Communication

  • Research Skills

    • Information literacy

    • Media literacy

  • Self-management Skills

    • Organization

    • Affective

    • Reflection

  • Social Skills

    • Collaboration

  • Thinking Skills

    • Critical Thinking

    • Creative Thinking

    • Transfer