A new article by Ewan Wright and Chrysa Keung, published in the journal Educational Review, examines the purpose of the International Baccalaureate (IB). The authors apply the writings of Gert Biesta to explore the ongoing tension between the IB’s aim of providing a well-rounded education and a trend towards schools prioritising academic outcomes. The article focuses on the Personal Project in the Middle Years Programme. First, quantitative data from over 40,000 students worldwide revealed that students with higher Personal Project scores also achieved higher scores in the Diploma Programme, suggesting a synergy between the two in terms of academic achievement. Second, 107 interviews conducted at IB schools in Hong Kong, Peru, Qatar, South Korea, the United States, and Zambia revealed that schools increasingly emphasise academic scores at the expense of broader educational objectives that the IB purports to promote through the Personal Project. The article calls for the IB to reaffirm its commitment to a holistic education to counter the prevailing measurement culture in schools worldwide.
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