Q&A
“It is an enormous privilege to be entrusted with the next chapter in the IB’s history” Dr Siva Kumari, the new Director General, discusses her plans for the IB’s future and why it’s such a privilege to be part of the IB community Which of the IB’s special qualities do you admire the most? What has always attracted me to the IB is that it’s not merely about curriculum or assessment. The focus is on two larger aims: schooling in general, and the student as a whole being, from the age of 3 to 19. Our emphasis on what is pertinent at a given age is valuable, as is the understanding that teaching isn’t just about content achievement, but is about education. We are aiming to create knowledgeable individuals who can use their learning throughout life to change their world, which is notable.
Kumari joined the IB in 2009 as Regional Director of IB Asia-Pacific
Kevin Augello/New Earth Films
Do the IB’s values need to adapt to reflect the changing world we live in? The IB’s founders set out to teach students skills and knowledge that could be benchmarked internationally, which is why I think the Diploma Programme has stood the test of time. The questions we have to ask now are: what is needed for the student who is born today? What other skills do we think they will need to learn? How will their learning need to evolve in response to a world in which there is an information explosion? How will the global reach of the IB programmes continue to grow? We must understand where the IB philosophy fits best, and where it can thrive. We are working with state systems to introduce IB programmes in new settings in Japan, Ecuador, and Chicago, USA. This project will help us see where the IB might need to stretch, or where the schooling conditions might need to change. These projects mark the start of a new and exciting phase for the IB. We are taking what we know how to do very well – working with one school – and challenging ourselves to apply it to working with a whole system. IBWorld 27