Mandate

The IBE, which is an international centre for the content of education, was founded in Geneva in 1925 as a private institution. In 1929, it extended its membership to governments and thus became the first intergovernmental organization in the field of education.

In 1969, the IBE joined UNESCO as an integral, yet autonomous, institution with three main lines of action: organizing the sessions of the International Conference on Education as an international forum for dialogue on educational policy; collecting, analysing and disseminating educational documentation and information, in particular on innovations concerning curricula and teaching methods; and undertaking surveys and studies in the field of comparative education.

While maintaining its original vocation, the IBE, over the last few years, has been concentrating its activities on the adaptation of educational content to the challenges of the 21st century, focusing on strengthening capacity-building in the area of management of curriculum change. In this framework, its four main functions are now the following: Observation, Promotion of dialogue on educational policy, Strengthening of capacity building, and Dissemination of information.

As observatory of educational structures, contents and methods, the IBE

• manages World data on education, a databank presenting on a comparative basis the profiles of national education systems;
• collects and disseminates through its databank INNODATA innovations and best practices on education;
• co-ordinates preparation of national reports on the development of education;
• administers the Comenius Medal awarded to teachers and educational researchers for outstanding achievements;
• maintains an international educational information centre.

In terms of promoting dialogue on educational policy, the IBE organized the 47th session of the International Conference on Education in Geneva from 8 to 11 September 2004 on the theme: Quality Education for all Young People : challenges trends and priorities .

To contribute to capacity-building at the national, sub-regional and regional levels, the IBE has recently embarked upon a series of training workshops on curriculum development, establishing regional and sub-regional networks on the management of curriculum change and developing a new information service - a platform for the exchange of information on content between different members of the educational profession.

Within its mission for dissemination of information, the IBE publishes a quarterly review of comparative education - Prospects, a quarterly newsletter - Educational innovation and information, and other publications.

The IBE is governed by a Council composed of representatives of twenty-eight Member States elected by the General Conference of UNESCO.

Collection of basic texts (81Kb)