Govt signs MoU with Baccalaureate

The Government of Andhra Pradesh has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Switzerland-based International Baccalaureate (IB) on introducing IB curriculum in government schools.
School Education Principal Secretary Praveen Prakash and Chief Education Officer (Director of Education Innovation) of IB Anton Beguin exchanged MoU copies in the presence of the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at the Camp Office here on Wednesday.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that it is a great programme as it paves way for integrating IB syllabus and practices with the syllabus of students of Classes I to XII.
“In countries like India, quality education is necessary for students to make them competitive at the global level,” he said, adding that the MoU with the IB offers a good future and helps them get high-paid jobs in the ever-competitive job market.
Compared to the western countries, it is necessary to upgrade the present educational system and syllabus in India for enhancing problem solving abilities of students, the Chief Minister said, adding that IB curriculum integration with the school syllabus would help achieve this objective.
As per the MoU, IB experts will impart training to teachers in Government schools, education department officials at mandal and district level, officers and staff of the SSC and Intermediate Boards and APSCERT in handling IB syllabus . This will make them part of the IB global teaching network.
The IB syllabus will be first introduced to students of Class I from the academic year 2025-26 and as they are promoted to higher classes every year, they would be learning the upgraded lessons making IB part of all classes in government schools by 2035 and IB syllabus would be taught to students of Class XII in 2037.
A new journey has begun and it helps set a new standard in the educational system, he said.
IB Director General Olli Pekka Heinonen, who participated in the programme virtually from Geneva, said this is their biggest MoU of its kind and it would be an inspiration for other countries and regions.
He said that the MoU helps improve his country’s relations with India in the educational sector and IB would first concentrate on Play Best Learning among the students while helping them learn foreign languages also along with other important subjects like mathematics, science and arts.
Education Minister B Satyanarayana, Chief Secretary Dr KS Jawahar Reddy, School Education Principal Secretary Praveen Prakash, School Education Commissioners S Suresh Kumar and K Bhaskar (Infrastructure), Intermediate Education Commissioner Sourav Gour, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan Project Director B Srinivasa Rao, Midday Meals Director SS Shobhika, senior officials and representatives of IB were among those present.