What is the International Baccalaureate?

 

  • The International Baccalaureate® (IB) offers high quality programmes of international education to a worldwide community of schools. There are more than 936,000 IB students at 3,245 schools in 141 countries.

 

  • The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) began operation in 1968 and it is a not-for-profit foundation registered in Switzerland.

 

  • It offers three challenging educational programmes for students aged 3 to 19 years

 

  • The IBO is motivated by its mission:

 

The International Baccalaureate Organization Mission:
The International Baccalaureate Organization 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 IBO 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.

 

1st International School of Ostrava is an IB World School authorised from April, 2011 to offer the IB Diploma Programme. The 1st IS-Ostrava is also a candidate school to offer the IB Middle Years Programme.

 

There are six IB World Schools in the Czech Republic; all of them are in Bohemia. The 1st International School of Ostrava is the first IB World School in Moravia.

 

 Why does the 1st ISO offer IB Programmes?

 

  • One of the fundamental principles on which the 1st International School of Ostrava was founded was to meet the educational needs of foreign families living and working in the Moravian-Silesian region of Central Europe.

 

  • As an IB World School authorized to offer the Diploma Programme, the 1st International School of Ostrava offers the children of foreign families in this region a trusted and prestigious alternative to the Czech national “Maturita”.

 

  • Furthermore, as one of the aims of our school is to provide challenging and inspiring education to students of all nationalities, we also strongly encourage local Czech students and their families to also consider the numerous advantages of the IB Diploma Programme.

 

  • One of the core principles of the IB programmes is the development of intercultural awareness and understanding among young people. As the 1st International School of Ostrava hosts parents, students and teachers from over 30 countries, exploring international perspectives is an essential part of our philosophy. The curriculum and pedagogy of the IB programmes facilitates this interaction. The IB programmes also insist that all students fully explore their home culture and language.

 

  • IB programmes are designed to be student-centered with the emphasis on holistic education. The programmes aim to develop the student physically, intellectually, emotionally and ethically.

 

  • IB programmes emphasize higher-order cognitive skills such critical thinking, analysis, problem-solving and creative thinking. The IB programmes prepare young people superbly for further study at university and for their future lives and careers.

 

  • IB programmes are respected around the world and ensure an increased adaptability and mobility for IB students moving between countries.

 

  • In order to be an authorized IB World School, the 1st International School of Ostrava had to undergo exhaustive quality controls which include analyses of the school’s resources and commitment to the IB mission and philosophy. As an authorised IB World School, parents can be assured that the quality of our school meets the rigorous world-class standards set by the IBO.

 

  • The 1st International School of Ostrava teachers take part in a wide range of IB professional development opportunities to continuously update their knowledge and skills and to share their expertise with colleagues around the world.

 

  • Many students graduating from the Diploma Programme find that it enhances their opportunities at tertiary institutions. The IB works closely with universities around the world to gain recognition for IB programmes.

 

  • Preparing our students for success at university is one of the key aims of our school and the IB Diploma Programme has proven its effectiveness since 1968. Just some of the reasons IB Diploma graduates are highly regarded by the most prestigious universities around the world and in the Czech Republic are:

 

             - they have participated in creative and community-service activities
             - they are able to reflect both personally and academically
             - they are knowledgeable across a broad range of subjects

               and they have an interdisciplinary approach to learning
             - they are inquisitive, adventurous and have a positive attitude towards learning
             - they are able to learn independently and effectively
             - they are excellent communicators in a range of modes
             - holistically, they are well-developed individuals