Διεθνοποίηση ή /και παγκοσμιοποίηση στην εκπαίδευση: η περίπτωση του International Baccalaureate

Abstract

Over the last few decades the term globalization has emerged as the new orthodoxy in the social and political sciences. However, in the field of educational research, internationalization, as part and presupposition of the mutual understanding among the different nations, is nothing new. The purpose of the article is to present a historical overview of the founding, implementation and expansion of the International Baccalaureate [IB] and the International Baccalaureate Organization in the era of globalization. In most European countries, this particular educational curriculum, together with other forms of ‘international education’, has held center stage of the debate on the future of education. In Greece, this debate coincides with an effort for educational reforms and, in most cases, influences the public dialogue on international education or the international perspectives in education which usually leads to extreme and unhistorical arguments. Under these circumstances, it is imperative to have a deep and comprehensive knowledge of the social conditions and international coincidences which led to the creation and growth of the IB. In particular, we will point to the demands upon international schools after World War II and the entrance problems to tertiary education of the children-adults of families with increased mobility which force International Organizations and Institutions to develop international curricula.