The real gap in IB and Cambridge isn't the curriculum - it's who's teaching it: In conversation with Karol Tóth, Chief Academic Officer (CAO), Academio

As more Indian families turn to the IB and Cambridge boards one veteran educator believes the most important question is rarely which board to choose but whether students are genuinely supported to succeed in itKarol Toacuteth who recently joined the online academic mentoring platform Academio as its Chief Academic Officer has spent more than two decades in international education In a recent conversation he spoke about where these curricula deliver where the system falls short and what families most often misunderstandThe real gap isnt the curriculumFor Toacuteth the programmes themselves are rarely the issue Both IB and Cambridge he says are academically sound and internationally respected The challenge lies in implementation and access to highquality teachers A school may have brilliant infrastructure but each childs experience depends on the subject experts who understand both their discipline and how students learn he explainsThe questions that matter he suggests are practical ones are students being taught skills alongside content Can they conduct independent research and analyse sources write the Internal Assessment manage the Extended Essay or revise effectively for Cambridge examinations It was this gap that drew him to Academio and its ability to extend academic support beyond the walls of a single school As CAO he intends to continue streamlining and expand that work so that students everywhere receive academic support of the highest quality be it in leading metropolitan schools or in smaller citiesNo longer just for the eliteThe perception that the IB or Cambridge boards are meant only for expatriate families or the urban elite Toacuteth notes was probably more accurate twenty years ago Today greater awareness of alternative educational models and a rising aspiration for global higher education have widened its appeal Online learning and tutoring he adds have reduced geographical barriers opening up expert support once available to only a handful of schoolsA richer picture than a single examOn Indias recent examination integrity concerns he is measured The country has run examinationbased selection successfully across many fields for a long time he says and the recent crisis will not change that Still he questions whether the ability to perform under pressure should be the defining measure of a students potential IB and Cambridge spread assessment across coursework projects and oral presentations producing a richer picture of student achievement evidence of sustained performance over time that universities valueMore than a syllabusThat distinction he believes is what parents accustomed to thinking in marks and ranks often miss A syllabus tells students what to learn A philosophy shapes how they learn how they think and ultimately who they become he says The ability to communicate think independently show initiative and reflect tends to matter enormously later at university in careers and in lifeHe is also quick to dispel the idea that these curricula serve only students headed abroad Some of his strongest students chose Indian universities an option strengthened by the growth of the countrys leading private institutions many of which actively value students from international boards IB and Cambridge are not international because they lead abroad he says They are international because they cultivate skills that are relevant anywhereIf there is one thing he wishes families understood it is that success in these programmes is not about being the smartest student in the room The students who thrive he observes are the most consistent curious and selfdirected qualities that matter long after school in a future that rewards those who can evaluate communicate and apply information rather than simply reproduce it

The real gap in IB and Cambridge isn't the curriculum - it's who's teaching it: In conversation with Karol Tóth, Chief Academic Officer (CAO), Academio

Other Articles

Mid-Day Fast

Home / Buzz / Article / The real gap in IB and Cambridge isn't the curriculum - it's who's teaching it: In conversation with Karol Tóth, Chief Academic Officer (CAO), Academio

The real gap in IB and Cambridge isn't the curriculum - it's who's teaching it: In conversation with Karol Tóth, Chief Academic Officer (CAO), Academio

Other Articles

Mid-Day Fast