ISJ Spring 2021: In Memoriam 2. ISA: “The genesis of a pedagogical revolution” / Gérard Renaud

When Lord Mountbatten came to Geneva in 1971 to deliver the first IB diplomas, George-Henri Martin (1), one of our most faithful supporters, received him in the name of the city and the International School of Geneva. He exclaimed eloquently: “The day will come when Geneva will be proud to have been the birthplace of two grand and generous ideas: the Red-Cross and the International Baccalaureate.” His prophetic vision has become a reality well beyond what he imagined at the time. On the five continents, more than 1000 schools have adopted IB programs and the expansion continues at an astonishing pace.
But the success of the IB has been such that it has somewhat concealed its own origins. If I am writing this article on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the International Schools Association (ISA), it is to do justice to the organisation which gave birth to the IB. Without the faith, the vision and the tenacity of its working groups, notably in the 1960s, the project may never have seen the light of day.