The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in post-colonial Mauritius: reaffirming local identities and knowledges

Abstract

The world becoming a global village is a recurrent notion, but for the learner, where to situate oneself intellectually and culturally remains a crucial issue. The challenges are complex for former colonized states of Africa in the quest of a national identity after colonial rule. The transition from a national educational programme to a (more) recognized internationalized programme, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, is a demanding task. Yet, to achieve this necessitates going beyond one's geographical location and assimilating a dominant culture through knowledge. The paper presents a review of the existing research on the International Baccalaureate Programme and its impact on local students' identities and knowledges in former colonized states in Africa with a focus on Mauritius, a former French and British colony. While also arguing that the International Baccalaureate functions in the matrix of the Westernized knowledge industry, privileged knowledges and identities in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme are discussed.

Keywords:

• globalization
• international baccalaureate
• post-colonialism
• knowledge
• identity