International Baccalaureate turns 50 in India; can it shed its elite tag?

As the International Baccalaureate (IB) system of education completes 50 years in India, the challenge is no longer awareness alone. It's more about whether it can embed itself meaningfully within India’s broader education ecosystem rather than remain confined to a privileged few.

The Federal spoke with Adrien Kearney, Director of IB World Schools, and Suman Sethi, Senior IB World Schools Manager, about the IB’s positioning in India, the perception of elitism, concerns over accessibility, and whether the curriculum aligns with local realities.

At the heart of the discussion was a central tension: how a globally benchmarked curriculum built on inquiry and holistic learning fits into a country where marks, percentages and competitive exams continue to dominate educational outcomes.

Beyond marks

India’s exam-oriented culture, Sethi acknowledged, remains a defining feature of the system. Yet she stressed that the IB is structured around holistic development rather than rote memorisation. The programme emphasises skill-building, inquiry-based learning and real-world engagement, moving beyond what she described as a “paper and pencil type of era”.

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At the same time, the organisation has adapted to Indian realities, Sethi said. For students seeking admission to Indian universities, the IB converts Diploma Programme grades — awarded on a scale of one to seven — into percentages upon request. This mechanism, she said, ensures alignment with domestic university requirements and reflects a practical accommodation to local needs.

The IB, she added, sees itself as a “learning organisation”, evolving in response to countries and communities. The post-pandemic shift in required skill sets, she argued, has only strengthened the case for inquiry-driven and globally contextualised education.

The elitism question

The perception that IB schools cater primarily to the elite remains persistent in India. Kearney conceded that this perception exists but said it does not reflect the global profile of IB World Schools. Roughly 45 per cent of IB schools worldwide, he noted, operate in public systems where parents do not pay fees.

The imbalance in India, he suggested, lies in the dominance of private institutions offering the programme. “We would like to see a stronger balance in India between the public system and the private system,” he said, indicating that expansion into public education remains an aspirational goal.

Changing perception, however, requires more than messaging. It demands structural shifts. Classroom size, teacher preparation, curriculum planning and leadership commitment are practical constraints that shape whether schools can meaningfully implement the IB framework. Education reform, he stressed, “is not a quick thing to do” and requires sustained leadership and institutional will.

Inquiry and leadership

Central to the IB philosophy is inquiry-based learning. Kearney framed this shift as fundamental: rather than asking children what they learned, parents might ask what questions they posed. The emphasis on questioning, critical thinking and conceptual understanding, he argued, differentiates the IB from traditional content-heavy systems.

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But implementation depends heavily on school leadership. Change, he said, succeeds only when leaders are committed to sustaining it. The IB supports this transition through peer networks, teacher-led workshops and collaborative professional development models.

Sethi reinforced that the programme is not designed for exclusivity. Every student, she maintained, brings individual strengths. Where skill gaps exist — particularly at Diploma level — schools are encouraged and supported to build capacity rather than filter students out.

“The clear message to the community is IB is for all,” she said, underscoring the organisation’s stated commitment to inclusivity.

Local realities

Questions often arise about whether IB philosophy clashes with local educational realities. Sethi rejected the idea of inherent conflict, arguing that misunderstandings typically stem from incomplete information rather than structural incompatibility.

The IB’s vision — rooted in holistic development, learner profile attributes and global citizenship — is publicly accessible, she said, and schools or parents seeking clarity are encouraged to engage directly with IB support systems.

Kearney added that before entering new contexts, the organisation seeks to understand a school’s motivation and objectives. Rather than imposing a model, he said, the approach involves identifying problem statements and planning for locally defined success.

Addressing criticism

On the question of criticism, Kearney acknowledged that accessibility and affordability remain areas for improvement. Bridging educational gaps and strengthening local support systems form part of the IB’s evolving strategy.

He emphasised the need for greater proximity to schools — more localised support, contextualised resources and cost-sensitive frameworks. While the IB has a large global footprint, he argued that impact must be felt “right here and right now” in each national context.

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Affordability, he suggested, is inseparable from meaningful expansion. Reducing costs while increasing impact requires adaptation without compromising standards — a balance the organisation continues to navigate.

Brain drain debate

A recurring concern in India is that IB students often pursue higher education abroad, contributing to a perceived “brain drain”. Kearney argued that this trajectory may reflect the programme’s historical pathways rather than its intended long-term impact.

He expressed hope that greater recognition within Indian universities and deeper local partnerships would encourage students to remain and contribute domestically. The aim, he said, is not outward migration but ensuring that the “intellectual passport” of IB education strengthens local communities.

Creating such relevance involves partnerships, professional learning, dialogue platforms and stronger recognition pathways within the country. Impact, he suggested, must be measured not by mobility alone but by contribution.

Strategic importance

India occupies a strategic position in the IB’s global outlook. Both Kearney and Sethi described the country as one of the most dynamic education markets, with significant potential for development and reform.

Yet scale brings complexity. The exam-centric mindset, fee structures and public-private divides present structural constraints. The IB’s long-term challenge lies in demonstrating that inquiry-led, holistic education can coexist with — and potentially reshape — these realities.

Fifty years after its introduction in India, the IB stands at a crossroads. It must reconcile global aspirations with local expectations, elite perceptions with inclusive ambitions, and international mobility with domestic impact. Whether it succeeds will depend not only on policy adjustments or institutional expansion, but on whether schools, educators and families see sustained value in its model within India’s evolving education landscape.

The content above has been transcribed from video using a fine-tuned AI model. To ensure accuracy, quality, and editorial integrity, we employ a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) process. While AI assists in creating the initial draft, our experienced editorial team carefully reviews, edits, and refines the content before publication. At The Federal, we combine the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human editors to deliver reliable and insightful journalism.

The writer was in Kodaikanal at the invitation of Kodaikanal International School.