Bengaluru currently has 41 IB World Schools, India’s second-largest concentration after Mumbai, reflecting a steady expansion of the network.
Sarojini Rao, principal, Indus International School, said: “When we started 25 years ago, there was a market for IB schools as IGCSE was the only other international curriculum offered.
But Trivedi says this could change as awareness and demand expand. KP Gopalkrishna, founder, The International School Bangalore, one of the first IB schools in the city, said: “When Manmohan Singh, as finance minister, opened up the economy and IT sector boomed, many expats returned. It permits us to empower students with competencies and innovation so they can charter their future. ” Experts said one reason for concentration in Bengaluru is the lack of an ecosystem in rural areas. Sultan said shortages of teachers and school leaders trained to teach differently affected the quality and costs.
Karnataka ’s IB network remains concentrated in Bengaluru, with data showing only one authorised IB World School outside the city – in Mysuru. But they couldn’t find a matching school for their children when they returned. So we started a school with world class facilities. What attracted parents that time, and mostly even now, is that IB is considered a passport to foreign universities. We’re trying to make parents aware that it’s much more than that. We opted for IB for the flexibility it allows. As more schools adopted international curricula, the main challenge would be ensuring enough well-trained teachers and capable school leaders to deliver the education envisaged by such curricula.