International Business and Technology Program
The International Business and Technology (IBT) program is a middle to high school level academic program available in Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon, Ontario, Canada, and is available to all students in these cities. The programs include a senior-public (middle school) or high school education enriched with business and technology courses which include student business ventures (Grade 10 Business), accounting, marketing, computer engineering, computer science and flexography (Flexography available at Gordon Graydon only).
Although this program only provides a certification with no international recognition to benefit the graduating high school students, the IBT program does give students the opportunity to experience post secondary education in an extremely intimate manner. This simulated university or college ethos is due to the competitive and motivated nature of the enrolled student body, the freedom to explore academic depth allocated to the staff teaching IBT level courses and the student focused administration of school clubs coming together to give the IBT program special place among secondary and pre-secondary academic options. The IBT program provides an accurate simulation of post secondary education with focus towards the work ethics required for some of the more competitive universities in Canada.
Locations
As of March 2011 the International Business and Technology program is available at 3 Peel schools: Allan A. Martin Senior Public School, Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School (www.IBTGraydon.com), and North Park Secondary School and centennial senior public school for grades 6 to 8 Flexography is only available at Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School. Students can select to enroll in a separate laptop only program where they will work with fellow students with laptops. These classrooms offer more learning with computers. These laptop students would be only split up for classes that do not require the use of a laptop, such as math, arts, gym etc. Laptops can also be used by non-laptop registered students, on non-laptop classes(pending teacher's approval). This program builds on regular academic courses, but IBT courses are very limited and teacher-made, resulting in drastically different course materials.
IBT Bussing
IBT Bussing is available at all 3 schools. Students from across the school`s boarders will be able to commute to one of these three schools through the IBT bussing. This bussing is not free and students will have to pay a fee that is usually around $2, 000. Pick up times & locations will be discussed with students.
Criticism
The IBT Program experiences much criticism. Criticism typically arises from students, who state that the costs, program difficulty and lack of recognition. This program hurts the student's chances of being accepted into a post secondary program of their choice. Many parents also critique the difficulty of some of the IBT level courses and explains that their child has trouble understanding the material given and that their child works too hard on homework towards no appreciable gain. There is no recognition for this program or very little but the work load is almost as hard as programs like IB which is recognized by universities.
Reasons Behind IBT
The contemporary trend is that high school curriculums have gotten easier to the point where academic post secondary institutions such as colleges and universities lack adequately educated students despite a well represented grade point average during the selection process. The rigor of the IBT program allows the courses at the secondary level to be stretched to contain more university and college required foundational knowledge. Students within the IBT program are required to become accustomed to the often rewardless, stressful and academic oriented environment that is college or university. At the same time IBT tries to simulate the freedom and independence offered by universities or colleges in a secondary school environment. Many of these factors combine to create an unpleasant experience for any student who is unprepared or not motivated to the level of their peers.