Seoul expands International Baccalaureate program to more than 100 schools

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) said it designated 91 schools as International Baccalaureate (IB) candidate schools for 2026, bringing the total number of Seoul campuses participating in the globally recognized curriculum to 106. The expansion underscores a growing embrace of the IB framework, which has gained traction among city educators seeking to prioritize critical thinking and globally oriented instruction. The IB is an internationally recognized education program developed by a nonprofit Swiss foundation in 1968. Emphasizing inquiry-based learning and concept-driven instruction over rote memorization, it currently operates in more than 5,900 schools across roughly 160 countries, serving approximately 2 million students. The program is divided into three levels: the Primary Years Program for early and elementary learners, the Middle Years Program for students aged 11 to 16 and the Diploma Program for students aged 16 to 19. The 106 Seoul schools now hold IB status at one of three tiers — interested, candidate or authorized. SMOE said the expansion is central to i

Go to News Site