NEW ORLEANS, July 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of a focused effort to reduce financial barriers for students and schools to participate in its unique programmes, the International Baccalaureate Organization announced today that it is eliminating the $172 "candidate registration" fee that students traditionally pay (as a cost separate from individual IB subject exams).

This decision to lower per student assessment costs is intended to help more students worldwide afford additional subject exams or pursue a full Diploma Programme, as well as help more schools join the community of more than 5000 IB schools worldwide.

"A key part of our mission is to develop for the international community youth who are well-rounded, multilingual and open-minded citizens—a new generation educated in ways that enable them to respond thoughtfully to global, national and local challenges," said International Baccalaureate (IB) Director General Dr. Siva Kumari.

"Facing imminent global changes and a new industrial revolution of technology and AI, IB's focus on preparing the future workforce to be agile learners and critical thinkers is more relevant and necessary than ever," she added.

Elimination of the registration fee is the latest in a series of decisions by the IB to ease financial burdens to open up access. It recently provided discounts for schools that offer three or more IB programmes and expanded its ongoing investments in professional development for IB educators, offering some of its courses at no charge.

After investing in technology that modernized IB's assessment systems over the past 10 years, and as a result of careful management of its costs, IB is able to pass along the financial benefits directly to students and schools, Kumari noted.

"We are focused on developing the deep and broad thinkers that the world needs in the 4th industrial revolution," said Haif Bannayan, Director of Outreach and Conferences. "Developing agile and thoughtful learners is fundamental to IB's educational philosophy and that is why we believe that our world-class model for 21st century workforce development must be more accessible."

About International Baccalaureate

Founded in 1968, the IB offers an education for students from age 3 to 19, comprising of four programmes that focus on teaching students to think critically and independently, and to inquire with care and logic. The IB curriculums are in more than 5,000 schools in over 150 countries around the world.

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