International Baccalaureate

The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), more commonly known as the International Baccalaureate (IB), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB Primary Years Programme for children aged 3 to 12, the IB Middle Years Programme for students aged 12 to 16, and the IB Diploma Programme and the IB Career-related Programme for students aged 16 to 19. To teach these programmes, schools must be authorized by the International Baccalaureate.

The organization's name and logo were changed in 2007 to reflect new structural arrangements. Consequently, "IB" may now refer to the organization itself, any of the four programmes, or the diploma or certificates awarded at the end of a programme.

The foundations of the International Baccalaureate (IB) can be traced back to 1948, when Marie-Thérèse Maurette authored the booklet "Educational Techniques for Peace. Do They Exist?". In this pioneering work, Maurette proposed an education model centered on international understanding and peace—principles that would later shape the core philosophy of the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP).

Building on this vision, a group of educators at the International School of Geneva (Ecolint) took steps in the mid-1960s to formalize an international education framework. They established the International Schools Examinations Syndicate (ISES), which laid the groundwork for a more structured and globally recognized curriculum. Over time, ISES evolved into the International Baccalaureate Office (IBO), then the International Baccalaureate Organization, today known as the International Baccalaureate (IB).

The IB headquarters were officially established in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1968 for the development and maintenance of the IB Diploma Programme. The objective of this programme was to "provide an internationally acceptable university admissions qualification suitable for the growing mobile population of young people whose parents were part of the world of diplomacy, international and multinational organizations" by offering standardized courses and assessments for students aged 16 to 19.

International Baccalaureate North America (IBNA) was established in 1975, International Baccalaureate Africa, Europe and Middle-East (IBAEM) in 1986, and International Baccalaureate Asia Pacific (IBAP) during the same period.

The IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) was first offered in 1994. Within five years, 51 countries had MYP schools. A revised MYP programme, referred to as the MYP: Next Chapter was introduced in September 2014, though by 2019, it had transitioned into the MYP.

The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) was piloted in 1996 in 30 primary schools on different continents, and the first PYP school was authorized in 1997, with 87 authorized schools in 43 countries within five years.