Introduction
The demand for a new paradigm of education organised on the principles of educating students for global citizenship, and providing them with the skills to adapt to a sea of global change, has resulted in the rapid growth of the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO). The IBOs success as a key global player within the field of international education has subsequently given rise to its own set of challenges, dilemmas and strategic imperatives. One of the most pressing strategic challenges of the organisation is opening up the access of its programs to those disadvantaged through economic or geographic disparities.
The IBOs rapid expansion and development of a near monopolistic brand in recent decades has attracted some criticism for its ad hoc expansion, maintenance of Western ideals, and a tendency for catering exclusively to the socioeconomic elite. In a revision of their expansionary policy in 2004, the IB redirected their growth strategy to a “growth and access focus”; purposefully increasing access to “disadvantaged students” within areas where the biggest impact could be leveraged. The drive to “increase the opportunity for more students to experience and benefit from an IB education regardless of personal circumstances” (“Mission and Strategy”, 2004).
connects with the ideals expressed by the founders original vision in the 1960s.
This essay will examine these challenges associated with the IBOs efforts to expand in a global market, where its brand is often synonymous with the mobile elite, and at the same time remain true to its strategic vision of providing increased access to those disadvantaged by geographic and financial circumstance.
Context
The dynamically changing global context ...
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IBO, (2006) From growth to access: Developing an IBO access strategy, Retrieved from the IBO website http://www.ibo.org/mission/strategy/documents/FromGrowthtoAccess.pdf
IBO, (2010) Increasing access for diverse schools and students, Retrieved from the IBO website http://www.ibo.org/recognition/resources/documents/AccessBrochure1.6.pdf
IBO, (2010) Gates Foundation awards IB grant, Retrieved from the IBO website http://www.ibo.org/media/gatesfoundationawardsibgrant.cfm
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IBO, (2010) Addressing Access – Final Report http://blogs.ibo.org/addressingaccess/files/2010/04/IB-Final-Report-0419101.pdf -
Another school in the same district is located “in a former roller-skating rink” with a “lack of windows” an a scarcity of textbooks and counselors. The ratio of children to counselors is 930 to one. For 1,300 children, of which “90 percent [are] black and Hispanic” and “10 percent are Asian, white, or Middle Eastern”, the school only has 26 computers. Another school in the district, its principal relates, “‘was built to hold one thousand students’” but has “‘1,550.’” This school is also shockingly nonwhite where “’29 percent '” of students are “‘black [and] 70 percent [are]
No matter whether it is a facility being upgraded or a volunteering opportunity being organized, a university primarily strives to stimulate students’ enthusiasm, find their real interests, and establish a careful view of the world. Edmundson claims that universities undergo such changes because “Schools want kids whose parents can pay the full freight” (43). Despite the construction projects and campus upgrades, the quality of educational diversity relies on the students, a group of talents that is carefully selected by the admission office. The admission rate for elite universities has remained low for years. With more competition in the educational market, universities are still strict on their principle of recruiting talents. The better resources provided the more quality that schools expect to see from their students. The quality of teaching and the standard of education do not decline as a result of funding
Although community colleges struggle with low retention and transfer rates, Everett (2015) mentioned that community colleges created opportunities for first-generation students through five divisions of admission (p. 52). The intention of this article was to address the five divisions of access provided by community colleges for first-generation college students which include: financial accessibility, geographic accessibility, programmatic accessibility, academic accessibility, cultural/social/physical accessibility and also the problems faced by these students after admission.
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Tomlinson & Imbeau (2010) believe that there is a strong association between opportunities in life and educational opportunity. However, Tomlinson & Imbeau (2010) argue that people often misconstrued the notion of equal access to education to mean that all students should receive the exact same pacing, resources and instruction in the classroom. Therefore creating a one size fits all education system. More importantly, differentiated instruction recognises that students are not the same and that access to equal education means that given a certain goal, each student should be provided with the resources, instruction and support to facilitate them in meeting that objective (Tomlinson & Imbeau, 2010, p. 12).
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Every year, more and more International students are coming to the U.S. for pursuing higher education. According to the Open Doors report published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE), the number of intern...
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The true purpose of school is to prepare children for their future in becoming lifelong learners and global citizens. For children with special needs, special education services prepare and provide support for them in dealing with the challenges they face daily. Laws such as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has enforced schools to provide education to all children and reinforces the purpose of the school, which is to provide children the Least Restrictive Environment to help them develop to their optimal potential. There are myriad of concerns regarding inclusion’s effect on typical developing students, yet a research done by Bui, Quirk, Almazan, and Valenti shows that “[p]resence of students with disabilities results in greater number of typical students making reading and math progress compared to non-inclusive general education classes” (p. 3). Therefore, inclusion not only benefits children with disabilities, but it also benefits typical developing student’s academic skills and allows them to learn acceptance and respect for students with disabilities.
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To reach the universal education goal for all children, special efforts should be clearly made by policymakers like addressing the social, economic...