The Russian Prosecutor General`s Office has officially declared the Swiss organization International Baccalaureate (IB) an undesirable entity. This academic year, 29 schools across the Moscow region were operating under the IB program, issuing diplomas that historically provided graduates with direct access to foreign universities.
Established in Geneva in 1970, International Baccalaureate offered a globally recognized, standardized school curriculum taught in English. An IB diploma served as a direct pathway, often without requiring additional entrance exams, to approximately 2,000 universities worldwide. This extensive network included prestigious institutions such as Harvard and Princeton in the United States, Oxford and Cambridge in the United Kingdom, as well as Russia`s Moscow State University and Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.
In 2012, Moscow`s Department of Education initiated the “Moscow: International School of Quality” project, specifically designed to support educational institutions offering programs like the IB. Now, following the recent declaration, these schools face an urgent imperative to revise their educational programs. Vadim Tkachenko, a prominent lawyer and CEO of the vvCube consulting group, has shed light on the legal ramifications:
“When an organization is designated as undesirable by the Prosecutor`s Office, all its external activities, including the use of educational materials and aids, must immediately cease. Non-compliance can initially lead to administrative offenses, and subsequently to criminal charges, potentially resulting in imprisonment for up to four years. While a program is typically structured for an entire academic year, adjustments can be made within a week. I believe schools must fundamentally restructure their operations and guide students who were pursuing the IB curriculum towards alternative educational pathways.”
Vadim Tkachenko, Lawyer, Founder and CEO of vvCube Consulting Group
According to data from EdDesignMag, the tuition fee for the IB program for high school students in Moscow during 2023 ranged significantly, from 1 million to 3.2 million rubles. Notably, Primakov Gymnasium offered full scholarships to winners of the All-Russian School Olympiad, completely covering these substantial costs. Some proactive institutions have already swiftly identified and implemented alternatives to the now “undesirable” program. For instance, the British Moscow School, when contacted by Business FM under the guise of a prospective client, outlined their immediate plans:
British Moscow School Representative: I can confirm what will happen with this program at our school. It will be canceled and replaced by the British A-Level program.
Business FM Correspondent: What are the key differences?
British Moscow School Representative: IB involves six specialized subjects, which means six major examinations. In contrast, A-Level focuses on three specialized subjects. A-Level also has less stringent requirements concerning English language proficiency. While the IB offered a broader spectrum of countries for university admissions, A-Level admissions primarily target Western nations, including the USA, Canada, Great Britain, and other European countries.
Business FM Correspondent: How does the cost of these programs compare?
British Moscow School Representative: Within our school, the tuition cost for both programs will remain identical.
It appears that a comprehensive understanding of the consequences of collaborating with an undesirable organization has not yet reached all institutions. Immediately following the Prosecutor General`s announcement, Business FM, again posing as a client, contacted Letovo School, another institution that utilizes the IB program. Letovo School assured them that no changes were anticipated in their operations:
“The IB program is currently functioning, and nothing is changing yet. We have not received any official information or directives regarding alterations so far. Of course, the Russian national curriculum remains available, and choosing IB alongside it is purely optional; not all students opt for it in the same manner as they would for the standard OGE in 9th grade and EGE in 11th. A Russian-standard certificate is guaranteed.”
The Prosecutor General`s Office has justified its decision to declare IB undesirable by stating its alleged goal of “shaping Russian youth according to Western templates.” The office accuses IB representatives of “imposing their interpretation of historical processes, distorting well-known facts,” and engaging in “anti-Russian propaganda.” Additionally, IB is charged with promoting “untraditional values based on the ideology of prohibited extremist associations.”
This development mirrors a similar decision made in June, when the Prosecutor`s Office declared The British Council—the organization responsible for administering the international IELTS English language exam—undesirable. Consequently, taking the IELTS exam is now only possible outside Russia, with options available in countries such as Kazakhstan, Armenia, or Turkey. However, Russian legislation extends its reach to actions undertaken by citizens abroad. This implies that paying for IELTS overseas could be interpreted as funding an undesirable organization, an act that carries severe criminal liability, including fines of up to 500,000 rubles, forced labor, or even up to five years in prison.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth