Over the past few years, there has been increased competition in the education sector. Many times it is the students who end up bearing the brunt of the pressure resulting from heightened competition, as schools aim to compete through standardised test results and grading systems.

Thankfully, there are a number of schools in Pakistan that are offering a different approach towards education and the personal development of kids. The International Baccalaureate (IB) is one such approach to education, and more and more schools across Pakistan have chosen to adopt its curriculum.

What is the International Baccalaureate?

The International Baccalaureate (IB) programme is a system of education where a more holistic approach is taken towards a child’s emotional well-being and growth.

Learning is achieved through different ‘concepts’ instead of subjects. These concepts are introduced to the students through hands-on activities, and teaching is based on questions raised by the students themselves, giving them an opportunity to decide where their interests lie and what is it that they want to learn.

Additionally, there are no grades for students. However, parents are kept up to date with the progress of their children on a regular basis.

As far as assessments go, students are required to develop and exhibit personal projects that include an actionable plan to impact the environment while keeping prevailing issues of the world in mind.

The system caters to students between ages 3 and 19, equipping them to think both critically and independently, and how to approach problem solving with care and logic.

IB programme students are equipped to ask challenging questions, think critically, take up active roles in their communities and develop research skills that help them get to some of the highest ranking universities in the world.

Enter Ilmesters Academy

There is a growing number of schools that offer the IB programme in Pakistan. Ilmesters Academy is one such school in Karachi that is dedicated to expanding the reach of the programme and making its students exemplary for others.

Taking a stroll around the school and meeting with some of the students and teachers turned out to be a great learning experience for someone who had previously been unfamiliar with the IB programme.

Each classroom was decorated with the crafty work of students, making them spaces where students could be creative without any barriers.

“My nephew and niece go to an IB school and I have seen the positive effect it has had on them. They are a lot more confident compared to other kids in the family,” said a mother who was at the open house organised by the academy. She was considering enrolling her daughter in the programme.

Another parent shared similarly positive sentiments. “My daughter already goes here and the main thing I noticed about her is how she looks forward to going to school and comes home excited to share what she has learned.”

The academy does not teach any particular subject in isolation, instead giving preference to real life scenarios as a basis of study in order to best prepare students for practical lives. Various subjects are integrated with one another, around the same topic or concept, bringing about a holistic learning experience.

There is no doubt that every student is different and cannot be taught in the same manner. This approach is taken while planning units at Ilmesters. Students can plan tasks that incorporate elements of their actions to reflect their understanding of particular topics.

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