'Bac' Chat
Shikhar Singh and Ashish Mitter interviewed members of the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) during their recent visit to the school

The Doon School Weekly (DSW): Do you think that The Doon School is ready for the IB?
Nigel Forbes (NF): Based on my observations, the answer is yes. One of the several reasons why I think so is that the school has a very similar ethos to that of the IB. For example, I am told that this school lays great emphasis on social service. So does the IB. In some schools, the entire concept of social service has to be introduced before the school takes on the IB.
Christopher Durbin (CD): In some schools, IB presents a difficult challenge, a tough transition. I don’t think this will be the case for Doon. I think IB will only serve to enhance an already good school.

DSW: How is the IB better than other education systems?
CD: I think the IB scores over many other educational systems because it lays emphasis on critical thinking over content. We, in the IB, want students to constantly seek different perspectives and to understand these perspectives. We want students to look beyond local events and strive to become international citizens. Of course, we don’t want to spread the notion that ‘outside’ is better than the ‘inside.’ We don’t want children to forget their own perspective, but we do want them to critically analyze foreign developments.
NF: The IB also prepares students very well for college. The extended essay that every IB student is required to write is like a rookie research paper. Generally, IB students don’t drop out of university, and are good all-round students who contribute in all spheres.
Farzana Dohadwalla (FD): I think that the IB provides a truly international education. Importantly, it doesn’t discount the Asian perspective. There is a lot of flexibility – for example, in English, you can choose to do texts written by Indian authors, and in world literature, you can even study the poetry of Kabir. I would like to state, categorically, that the IB doesn’t wish its students to believe that the West is better than the East. The IB, instead, encourages students to value all nations, including their own.

DSW: How does the IB help students wishing to study in India?
FD: The IB gives a mark sheet just like any Indian board, so in that respect, students wishing to study in India are not at any disadvantage. Instead, these students are actually better placed than their counterparts. The IB provides a rounded education and teaches you how to communicate and express your thoughts, which are very important skills in today’s world. Moreover, the IB provides students with a wide variety of options – for example, maths is available at five levels of difficulty.

DSW: What qualities must the average student have to be successful in the IB?
NF: I think reading is one quality which is essential, but then again, I must lay stress on the fact that the IB is not an exclusive club. IB gives mediocre students ample opportunity to find their fields of interest and do well in them.
CD: The nice thing about the IB is the fact that you can achieve a lot in different ways. You can specialize in a particular subject and do really well in that, or you can do well as an all-rounder. The IB is great for students simply because of its flexibility.

DSW: How has the IB experience changed each of you individually?
NF: Well, one notable difference I find in myself is that IB has encouraged me to read much more than I ever did. I have shifted my reading focus from a local one to an international one. As a teacher, the IB challenges me all the time and I have to prepare myself for each and every class. I enjoy this.
FD: The IB believes in the philosophy that ‘to teach is to learn twice.’ I read up on my subject before each and every lesson. The IB has also helped me in my personal life. When my children used to ask a question to which I didn’t know the answer, I used to get very worried. IB has taught me to acknowledge the fact that there are things that I don’t know and now, I encourage my children to read or surf the Internet to find information.
CD: Personally, I was very disillusioned with the British education system, as it has fixed ideas on education. I didn’t want my children to study in such a system. As a geography teacher, I didn’t want to teach in such a system. As a result, I turned to the IB. The IB has ensured that my children are sensitized global citizens (or so I believe!), and that my horizons as a teacher are constantly pushed. I never stop thinking about my subject.