Comment

An officer in the Tasmanian Ministry of Education reports on the successful growth of the International Baccalaureate in Australia and explains how well it serves the needs of that continent's diverse population. The inclusion of a study of ideas which asks students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on how we know what we claim to know, exploring connections between subjects and encouraging critical reflection, was a pioneering idea owing much to the inspiration of Gerard Renaud. Thanks to the IB, all international schools have gained in recognition, dignity and esteem, and through the IB they have acquired an educational and pedagogical vocabulary that has been a uniting factor in the way they seek to balance internationalist values and a rigorous academic programme in the learning experience.