J. J. Thompson
Deportment of Educational Studies University of Oxford England
An International Experiment in Chemistry
1he aim of this article is to state the present position of chemistry in the International Baccalaureate, by describing the nature of the project in general, and the specific role of chemistry through a consideration of its aims, teaching nlethods, syllabuses, and assessment techniques. Background
The idea of an internationally acceptable schoolleaving qualification based on a unified program of studies gel\- from the concern of teachers in internntional and multinational schools thrdughout. the ~vorld for the special problems of the mobile studeut. population. Such schools, ~ v h orecruit their students from very different count,ries and educiitioual systems, have brought into relief a problem which Tvas bound, sooner or later, to affect every field of education. These schools have been established in many parts of the ~ o r l dand their number is likely t,o increase rapidly with the growing mobility of intergovernmeutal, commercial, and industrial personnel. To fulfill their main aims they need to teach on commou lines and vith parallel programs and subject patterns. The studeuts transferred from school to school, perhaps v i t h a gap of thousands of miles geographically, d l find a minimum educational gap so that the inevitable adjust,ments to new faces and places will be eased by the familiarity of the studies pursued in both schools. At present the schools are compelled to choose between t ~ unsatisfaco tory alternatives. Either they can divide their upper classes into separate sections preparing for different national examinations, which is extravagant and divisive, or they can prepare all together for the national examination of the host country and rely on equivalence agreements, which offends against the int,ernational character of the schools and involves complicated negotiations with authorities in many different countries. The International Baccalaureate, ~ h i c hhas its headquarters in Geneva, provides an examination on common programs designed to meet the needs of the international schools in the first instance, and ultimately many other schools in the future, and which will serve as a University entrance qualification as well. The examination can be taken either in English or French a t present, and results in the award of a Diploma which is recognized for admission to Universities in most countries. The first full International Baccalaureate examinations were taken in May, 1970, and for a further 5 years the examinations will be taken by students in about fifteen international schools in Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Iran, Lebanon, Nigeria, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United St.ates of America.
The examination consists of six subjects, three of vhich (at the candidates' choice) are taken at Higher Level and three at Subsidiary Level. The general scheme is as follom: 1) Lanpage A (first language, includiug vorld literature in translation); 2) Language B (second language); 3) Study of Man (including history, economics, geography, philosophy, psychology, and social anthropology); 4) Ezperimental Seieicces (itmluding physics, chemistry, physical science, biology, scieutific studies); 5) Mathematics; and 6 ) one of a wide choice of optional subjects (including music, plastic a.rt,s, ancient language, a science not already chosen, et,c.). In addition all candidates shall have follo\ved regularly two common courses in the Theory of I
