"Creating a better world": the International Baccalaureate and the reproduction of social inequality in Australia

Abstract

The role of education in the reproduction of social inequality has been consistently demonstrated since the seminal research on the subject in the 1960s. Yet changes in the structures of education systems constantly re-problematise the (re)production of social inequality. In particular, new forms of educational differentiation bring the question of the social distribution of educational opportunities to the fore. One recent form of educational differentiation has been the development of curricular alternatives, and the most prevalent of these alternative curricula are the programs developed by the International Baccalaureate organisation. In this project, I attempt to understand the contribution of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, a two-year pre-university credential, to the reproduction of social inequality in Australia. To that effect, I examine the quality of the Diploma Programme opportunity, in comparison to alternative programs. I then assess the social background of students choosing the Diploma, in order to evaluate the implications of the introduction of this alternative senior secondary curriculum for the social distribution of educational opportunities. I conclude the analysis by addressing some elements of explanation for the Diploma Programme’s contribution to the reproduction of social inequality. Finally, I propose some modest reforms for using this new form of educational differentiation as an instrument for devising a fairer distribution of educational chances.