Introduction
The International Baccalaureate Curriculum is one with global prestige, and the prevalence of IB education is on the rise in India. As such, it is important to look at the national differences that affect the IBDP student experience. In this article, let’s explore multiple aspects of being an IB student in India.
Introduction to Indian educational systems
Popular secondary education systems in India include the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and State Board syllabuses which conduct national standardized examinations. Subject streams are prevalent. This refers to students choosing subject “packages” aligned to their future career fields. For example, the Science stream generally includes Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, and Biology.
CBSE is known for extreme rote memorization rather than employing critical thinking abilities. This is the opposite of holistic comprehension skills honed in the IBDP, aimed at enabling students to build identities as 21st century citizens. In the IB, theoretical regurgitation is rarely the spotlight of assessments, and IB research opportunities and experience are incomparable to the national syllabuses.
Another route in India is Cambridge education. Many 10th graders are IGCSE graduates or IB’s Middle Years Program (MYP) graduates. At my school, IGCSE and MYP are offered, and students entering the IBDP gain their prerequisite knowledge from these curricula. Additionally, CBSE students entering IB are well prepared for some topics, given their rigorous in-depth learning. Though, they have little experience in research and extensive writing.
IBDP Subjects
The following subjects are the only ones offered in-house by my school. While this can give you an idea of IB subject availability in India, other branches under my school’s management also offer more or less subject choices; subjects depend on your school. Moreover, if you are interested in a subject unavailable at your school, you are welcome to outsource an IB educator able to guide your learning and assessments and connect with your school management to make taking the subject possible.
There are several subject groups at my school, where it is streamlined according to the Science stream (which is Math AA, Physics, Chemistry, Computer science and/or Biology) or Commerce stream (which is Math AI, Business management, Economics, Psychology). This is not a traditional IBDP practice, but it is aligned with how India categorizes its subjects. Furthermore, on par with India’s strong focus in science, a majority are irregular IB students taking three science subjects and no Group 3 subjects (Individuals and Societies) or Group 6 subjects (the Arts).
What does CAS in Indian IB schools include?
CAS activities in India revolve around celebrating national holidays and days of international importance, such as National Independence Day, International Statistics Day or French Day. There are activities, celebrations, and festivities planned by IBDP first-years that add to our CAS hours. Moreover, school fundraising events are hosted, where IBDP students may run food stalls, emcee or manage the day’s events. Volunteering for CAS is often done externally, where recently beach cleanups have been introduced at my school.
Externally, there are many opportunities here, especially when aiming to solve socio-economic disparities, sport coaching and art classes. Indian children are usually encouraged to join classes and competitions in music, dance, art and sports, outside of school, and this practice carries into the IBDP, where many students are already committed to a long-term extracurricular. There is a great variety of external CAS activities that you can find within your community and you are welcome to take these up according to your interests and schedule.
Additionally, volunteering is an accessible option due to the sheer number of outreach programmes and Indian non-profit organizations. You can start by researching charitable organizations working with your school and in your community, and how you can contribute to them as students. Even if this turns up empty, it is a great opportunity for you to begin a school-based initiative based on socio-economic need gaps in your community.
What’s the culture like?
Surprisingly or unsurprisingly, Indian culture is keen on academic success where scoring a high 90% is expected. Especially within traditional curriculums, like the CBSE, where high marks are prone, the idea of IB marks being tentative and on a constant learning curve is alien to Indian educational expectations. Often, this misunderstanding of the IBDP curriculum is often bridged by educating these people on the rigor and effort behind the IBDP curriculum.
Moreover, the spotlight on high academic achievements in India can have a detrimental effect on our extracurricular activities. Despite CAS being treated as a part of the IBDP curriculum, there is not an extensive focus on it. You are very much urged to focus on your academics during the IBDP.
You can also note that my school does not offer subjects for Category 6, the Arts. This does not mean that all Indian schools do not offer subjects in the arts, but it is on theme with the tendency to choose science subjects in India.
Opportunities for IB students at Indian universities
IB scores are widely accepted by Indian universities, and recognition for IB students is rising. Universities usually convert, according to the Association of Indian Universities’ guideline, IB scores to suit their standardized system for more accurate weighted grades (e.g. A 7 in 2022 could be a 97% while a 7 in 2021 could be a 95%). Some universities, while accepting IB applications, may be unfamiliar with the IB experience and underestimate the rigor and effort behind high-scoring marks. But recently, universities are adapting to grade/scale systems better as international curriculums enter and national grading systems change in the application pool. Previously, the intense competition within the 99th percentile between national boards was critical. Fortunately, national boards switching grade systems is a more credible comparison for IB students.
Most importantly, after school grades, there are standardized aptitude and entrance exams, which may be a national standardized exam or a university-level entrance exam. This is often done to get an objective idea of a student’s knowledge, regardless of curriculum, especially in a vast application pool like India’s.
National-level aptitude exams such as the JEE, NEET or CUET reflect traditional Indian curriculums such as the CBSE system and are extremely competitive. This means that IB students may need to cover additional exam content that is different and/or missing from IBDP topics and assessments. Thus, Indian curriculums are more apt for students aiming for Indian institutions.
More often than not, IB students aspire to study abroad for university. Many students join the program because they believe it will allow them to learn the skills and attitudes necessary to excel globally, and I have personally observed that many IB graduates from my school study overseas for university.
My personal experience
For an immigrant from South Africa to India, Indian education and approaches to learning were and are a culture shock. In contrast to a country where extracurriculars, clubs, sports, and volunteering experiences were highly encouraged throughout high school alongside studying, academics are the spotlight of Indian education. Indian academic rigor and the efforts needed to do well in the IBDP curriculum is a hard mix but an extremely rewarding one. It pushes my abilities to understand global education standards and expectations of high schoolers. It is an eye-opening experience to be educated in India, especially looking at the IBDP curriculum, shaped to fit into Indian culture and serve its students to the best of its abilities.
Conclusion
I would highly recommend the Indian IB experience, especially if you are interested in delving deeper into your interests, building an understanding of your ambitions, and creating a strong foundation for university requirements. The IB, its multifaceted knowledge, and its corresponding university opportunities are very rewarding, but studying in a country like India is moreover rewarding in terms of mental aptitude and perseverance in managing different sides of the IBDP. It is a difficult process, especially from the perspective of an immigrant, but it is something that I would choose again any day.