Russia bans International Baccalaureate over ‘Russophobia’

Russia’s Prosecutor General has declared the Swiss-based International Baccalaureate “undesirable” on its territory, accusing the education group of promoting Russophobia and “non-traditional values.” The Geneva-headquartered organisation says its programmes are designed solely to raise education standards, not to advance politics. On August 25, just a week before the start of the new academic year in Russia, the Prosecutor General’s Office declared the Swiss-based International Baccalaureate (IB) an “undesirable organisation.” Students and participants in IB programmes in Russia have lost the opportunity to obtain international diplomas that previously opened doors to leading universities worldwide. On its website, the Prosecutor General’s Office described the IB as “shaping Russian youth according to Western templates”. Other accusations against IB include “imposing its own interpretation of historical processes, distorting widely known facts, engaging in anti-Russian propaganda ...