Why
T
his year, we are
www.ibo.org
going to begin the
process of turning A.A.C. into an International
Baccalaureate school. So, why did we choose IB?
The main benefit of becoming an IB school is that
the curriculum will be internationally standardized
and recognized all over the world; the curriculum is
always updated with clear standards. The frequent
updates also mean that the information being
taught includes newer scientific discoveries as well
as keeping up with current events in the world, and
this way an IB school in Munich is teaching the same
things as an IB school in Chicago or here in
Casablanca.
The program is developed
independently of government and national systems,
and therefore brings the highest quality of practice
and research from the IB’s global community of
schools. As the world
becomes smaller and our
students
become
more
global, creating a standard for
an international curriculum is
very important.
When enrolled in the IB program, the
students will take a total of six courses, one from
each subject group. The six subject groups are:
Studies in Language and Literature, Language
Acquisition, Individuals and Societies, Sciences,
Mathematics and the Arts. Each subject group offers
many courses that students can choose from. For
example, Individuals and Societies include subjects
such as history, psychology, economics, geography,
and philosophy, to name a few. In addition to the six
subject courses, students need TOK which stands for
Theory of Knowledge, or epistemology, the
Extended Essay, based on independent, self-
directed research, and CAS, which stands for
Creative Activity and Service.
In an IB program, the curriculum is not centered
solely on academics, it was created to focus on
the student as a whole; the strengthening of the
individual’s character is as important, if not
more important than their academic prowess.
One goal that instructors have is to steer their
students towards an ideal Learner Profile, a term
that has been created and defined by the
International Baccalaureate program. This profile
begins with the definition: “The aim of all IB
programs is to develop internationally minded
people who, recognizing their common humanity
and shared guardianship of the planet, help to
create a better and more peaceful world.” The ten
characteristics that define the ideal IB learner are:
Inquirer, Knowledgeable, Thinker, Communicator,
Principled, Open-Minded, Caring, Risk-Taker,
Balanced and Reflective. Between the wide choices
of the program, the rigor of the courses and the IB
learner profile, IB has created
a structure in place that truly
forge not only good students,
but also well-rounded citizens
and leaders. The students
learn that with developed
www.ibo.org
skills they can direct their
actions to become a true impetus for change in the
world around them. They are taught to think on a
global level and take that knowledge to enact a
positive change in their immediate surroundings. IB
does indeed create well-rounded students that can
tackle the obstacles of life beyond academic
demands. Here at A.A.C. we are very excited to bring
this change to the fore and will keep you updated as
we begin the International Baccalaureate
accreditation process.
Wassif Benlarbi
IBDP Coordinator at AAC