Nigel Bagnall

Education Without Borders:: Forty Years of the International Baccalaureate: 1970-2010 Nigel Bagnall

Education without borders is divided into two sections relating to the International Baccalaureate (IB) over a forty-year-period. The first is a comparative study of the IB Diploma in Australia and Canada. Drawing heavily on the work of Bourdieu, it argues that the IB has become a provider of global cultural capital. It argues that students adopt the IB as much for the cultural capital they acquire as for its use as an entry point qualification to the worlds' most prestigious tertiary institutions. The second section draws on an innovative study on three primary schools in Montreal adopting the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP). This book allows an opportunity for critical reflection on what constitutes an international curriculum and how various schools in Canada and Australia have used this curriculum. It assesses the potential significance of this curriculum model for all schools. Bagnall's innovative research shows how important the choice of curriculum is to all players in the education game. As Bourdieu (1993,p. 5) notes," ... a feel for the game ... is not always ... obedience to rules". The book will appeal to parents, teachers, researchers and students alike.