尖端科技的日新月異已使得全世界成為一緊密連結的地球村,也讓現在的年輕人有著更多的機會到世界各地遊歷。在教育愈趨國際化的潮流之下,各國嚴格的國家考試制度似乎已不能符合青年學子的需要,而一種國際間認可的、與高中課程相結合的大學入學制度,卻愈來愈受到世界各國高中與大學的重視,這就是國際高中畢業會考文憑(IB)。IB從創設至今已有三十多年的歷史,最初的構想是由一群任教於日內瓦國際學校的教師針對該校學生面臨的升學問題所提出的,但其後擴大成為多國學者專家參與的高中課程與考試制度的研究,目前已有一健全的行政組織,也發展出一套設計精良的課程與考試制度。IB的目的在於打破各國自定課程與考試制度的藩離,並為十六至十八歲的高中學生提供一套均衡的課程,其最大的特為強調內容均衡的課程設計、引導正確教學的評量設計,以及突破國界的課程與文憑。目前全世界已有六百多所中學採用IB課程,也有八百所大學認可IB文憑或學科證書作核准入學的依據。而除了高中課程之外,IB的中小學課程也已陸續地發展出。在台灣雖然沒有任何一所大學認可IB文憑,本土的中學採用IB課程者,但IB的理念與作法對於我國的高中課程與大學入學的改革卻具有相當大的啟示,包括加強高中通識教、落實課程發展的多元參與、改進大學入學制度以引導高中教學正常化,本文最後並建議國內大學考慮認可IB文憑,以促成學生來源多元化與國際化。
With great advances in technology, the world has literally become a global village. Youngsters have more chances to move quickly and easily in this community, alone or with their family. Therefore, rigid national exam systems can not meet the ever growing needs of students. Thus an internationally recognized college entrance exam and high school programme has been in demand. The International Baccalaureate(IB)came into existence about 30 years ago. It aims to break the regional boundary and to offer a balanced curriculum to high school students. Through the efforts of numerous scholars, educators, professors and school teachers, IB has won recognition in more than 800 universities in 75 countries. About 655 schools has implemented the IB program for students of 16-18 years old. Furthermore, the Middle Years Programme, which targets at 11-16 year olds, was proposed in 1992 and has received hearty welcome worldwide. In Fall, 1997, the Primary School Programme will join the ranks. The purpose of this paper is to introduce IB to Taiwan. Though our young people may not enjoy as much freedom to be educated abroad as their counterparts in some other countries, the concepts and designs of IB can shed some lights on our reform of the high school curriculum and, consequently, the joint college entrance exam. We believe IB can serve as a good alternative. This paper consists of four parts:the development of IB, the organization of IB Office, the description of IB courses and discussions on how we can make use of the ideas presented in IB.