The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP) offer the best approach to inquiry-based education. The PYP, MYP and DP are based upon comprehensive research and extensive, wide-ranging experience – excellent practice derived from a variety of national systems and schools. They provide a framework to guide coherent content instruction from grade to grade, encouraging steady academic, social and intellectual progress as students expand their intellectual and social capacities, knowledge and skills. Teachers plan activities, engage students in learning and asses their progress, and then reformulate the plan according to the results.

The PYP and MYP are curriculum frameworks, whereas the DP is a prescribed curriculum. There are important reasons for this difference. Each programme is designed to meet the developmental needs of students of particular ages and at key stages of identity formation.Schools need room to shape the curriculum according to local requirements and to their cultural realities and priorities. The DP has to provide students with the qualifications to gain entry to universities anywhere in the world, hence the increased level of prescription in the programme.

The PYP and MYP are coherent and comprehensive programmes that allow schools, through collaborative teams of teachers, to develop their own content-content that is relevant to the cultural context of the school. The framework offers some degree of flexibility, allowing schools o incorporate local or national curriculum requirements if necessary. Student learning is assessed internally by teachers and, in the MYP, teachers’ assessment can be externally moderated by the IB in order to meet recognized global standards. The DP is, equally, a coherent and comprehensive programme but the curriculum and assessment procedures are prescribed in more detail in order to meet the requirements for university entrance around the world. Student learning in the DP is assessed largely by external examinations set by the IB.

The PYP and MYP are inclusive programmes with the flexibility to meet the needs of all students. The DP is not exclusive but, because it is aimed at providing students with all they need to be successful in higher education, the full IB Diploma Programme may not be the best fit for all students. The PYP and MYP use different structures and approaches from the DP in order to meet the intellectual and developmental needs of students in the relevant age groups, but they prepare students both intellectually and personally to be successful in the DP. While there is a common, strong philosophy underpinning the three programmes, each programme has distinct characteristics that are appropriate to the age level for which it was designed.

Students learn and remember what they learn when teaching, learning and curricula are inquiry-based and authentic—relevant to the “real” world, and transdisciplinary—integrated and enriched across and by the disciplines or subject areas. Learning must go beyond memorization and skill acquisition to the mastery of content and “higher level” thinking that provides students with the ability to apply what they learn to new situations, solve problems, and create new ideas and knowledge. Memorizing facts and information is not the most important skill in today’s world. Facts change, and information is readily available. Humans of all ages construct understanding of the world though inquiry. Inquiry is not so much about finding the right answer, because often there is none, but rather seeking solutions to problems and understanding of issues.

Although the content of disciplines is important, learning content is a means to an end, not an end in itself. The knowledge within disciplines is constantly expanding and changing. It is impossible to learn everything, but everyone can develop inquiry skills and attitudes. Our arcane high school education system is a massive waste of time and resources. The mandatory feeding by teachers and regurgitation by students are reminiscent of the Roman excesses depicted in Fellini’s Roma.