Alec Peterson
Encyclopedia
Alexander Duncan Campbell Peterson OBE
(13 September 1908 - 17 October 1988) was a British
teacher
and headmaster, greatly responsible for the birth of the International Baccalaureate education
al system. He was instrumental in the formation of the International Baccalaureate Organisation in 1968, and served as the organisation's first director-general
until 1977. He was also the first honorary member of the organisation's Council of Foundation from 1983 until his death in 1988.
, Scotland
. He attended Radley College
and Balliol College, Oxford
and after spending two years as a management trainee became a teacher at Shrewsbury School
in 1932. At the beginning of World War II
he joined the Ministry of Information and joined the propaganda branch of the Special Operations Executive. He played an important role in South-East Asia, and was largely responsible for the Indian Forward Broadcasting Unit, which was very successful in the Burma campaign. He became Deputy Director of psychological warfare
for South-East Asia Command and was awarded OBE in 1946. After the war he was appointed headmaster at Adams' Grammar School
. He spent two years as Director General, Information Services in Malaya from 1952 to 1954 during the Malayan emergency
. He was later headmaster at Dover College
, where he set up an international sixth form
. In 1958, he was named head of the Department of Educational Studies at Oxford University, a post he held until 1973. He was the Liberal Party’s spokesman on education for some time and served as chairman of the Army Education Board for many years.
He married Corinna May Cochrane, daughter of Sir Arthur Cochrane
of the College of Arms
. Corrie was a member of the Society of Analytical Psychology and was a tutor at Beech Lawn College Oxford during the 1960s. They had two sons and a daughter.
's staff) and his acquaintance with Kurt Hahn
earned him a job planning an academic curriculum
for the future students of the newly-founded Atlantic College
in Wales
. In 1966, he was named head of the International Schools Examination Syndicate, which was reorganised in 1968 as the International Baccalaureate Organisation.
During the first five years of his time as director-general of the IBO, Peterson continued to live and work in Oxford
, despite the fact that the IBO offices were located in Geneva
, Switzerland
. He remained in his job at Oxford University, retaining the directorial job with the IBO as a part time
work. In 1973, he retired from his Oxford post and took up a part-time teaching job at the Hammersmith and West London College of Further Education, teaching Theory of Knowledge
and managing his IBO directorate from London
.
Peterson retired in 1977, and he was made an honorary member of the IBO's Council of Foundation in 1983. In 1987, he published the book Schools Across Frontiers: The Story of the International Baccalaureate and the United World Colleges, a historical account on the development of the IB programmes and the United World Colleges
closely linked to them. Peterson died in 1988. The IBO Cardiff Headquarters building, Peterson House, is named after him.
' in British pre-university
education. In his 1960 report Arts and Science Sides in the Sixth Form, he vocally described the need for a new kind of educational system, essentially very similar to what the IB Diploma Programme
eventually was to become. The new system would provide broader education for students, while maintaining a certain degree of chances for specialisation. He also emphasised the advantages of oral examinations and of assessing analytical skills in examinations rather than the ability to remember specific fact
s.
Peterson is said to have shaped the entire educational philosophy
of the IBO, basing it on his own humanist
and liberal
beliefs on the concept of education. He felt the very purpose of education to be to stimulate the mind and encourage critical thought
, rather than focussing on simple memorisation of detail. His views are reflected in the structure of the IB Diploma Programme, in the way that it incorporates elements such as the Extended Essay
, the CAS
programme, and Theory of Knowledge
: the student is required to do independent research, to participate in meaningful tasks outside the immediate school community to benefit society, and to develop a concrete image on the nature of knowledge that he comes across in his studies.
Despite his assumption of the task of IBO director-general as only a part time job, Peterson was very productive in advancing the cause of the International Baccalaureate. He continued to be active for the cause even long after he retired from the director-general's post at the IBO. Peterson was viewed as very energetic and devoted to his cause, particularly by his colleague Robert Blackburn
, who said:
In 1989, the IBO's Council of Foundation established the 'Peterson lectures' in honour of Alec Peterson. These periodical lectures are held by distinguished scholars on subjects pertaining to international education, in an attempt to search for new solutions and ideas on the subject matter.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(13 September 1908 - 17 October 1988) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and headmaster, greatly responsible for the birth of the International Baccalaureate education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
al system. He was instrumental in the formation of the International Baccalaureate Organisation in 1968, and served as the organisation's first director-general
Director-general
The term director-general is a title given the highest executive officer within a governmental, statutory, NGO, third sector or not-for-profit institution.-European Union:...
until 1977. He was also the first honorary member of the organisation's Council of Foundation from 1983 until his death in 1988.
Early life and career
Peterson was the son of John Peterson an Indian Civil Service official and Flora, and was born in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He attended Radley College
Radley College
Radley College , founded in 1847, is a British independent school for boys on the edge of the English village of Radley, near to the market town of Abingdon in Oxfordshire, and has become a well-established boarding school...
and Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
and after spending two years as a management trainee became a teacher at Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...
in 1932. At the beginning of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he joined the Ministry of Information and joined the propaganda branch of the Special Operations Executive. He played an important role in South-East Asia, and was largely responsible for the Indian Forward Broadcasting Unit, which was very successful in the Burma campaign. He became Deputy Director of psychological warfare
Psychological warfare
Psychological warfare , or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations , have been known by many other names or terms, including Psy Ops, Political Warfare, “Hearts and Minds,” and Propaganda...
for South-East Asia Command and was awarded OBE in 1946. After the war he was appointed headmaster at Adams' Grammar School
Adams' Grammar School
Adams' Grammar School is a selective state grammar school in Newport, Shropshire, rated by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills as a Grade 1 outstanding school , the latest OFSTED report concludes "this is a truly impressive school"...
. He spent two years as Director General, Information Services in Malaya from 1952 to 1954 during the Malayan emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
. He was later headmaster at Dover College
Dover College
Dover College is a co-educational independent school in Dover in southeast England. It was founded in 1871, and takes both day pupils and boarders....
, where he set up an international sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
. In 1958, he was named head of the Department of Educational Studies at Oxford University, a post he held until 1973. He was the Liberal Party’s spokesman on education for some time and served as chairman of the Army Education Board for many years.
He married Corinna May Cochrane, daughter of Sir Arthur Cochrane
Arthur Cochrane
Sir Arthur William Steuart Cochrane, KCVO was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London.-Biography:...
of the College of Arms
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
. Corrie was a member of the Society of Analytical Psychology and was a tutor at Beech Lawn College Oxford during the 1960s. They had two sons and a daughter.
Work with the IBO
In 1962, Peterson's connections with the military (he had served in Lord Mountbatten of BurmaLouis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
's staff) and his acquaintance with Kurt Hahn
Kurt Hahn
Kurt Martin Hahn was a German educator whose philosophies are considered internationally influential.-Biography:...
earned him a job planning an academic curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
for the future students of the newly-founded Atlantic College
Atlantic College
The United World College of the Atlantic, also known as Atlantic College, is an international IB Diploma Programme boarding school in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1962, the school was the first of the United World Colleges and was among the first schools in the world to follow an international...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. In 1966, he was named head of the International Schools Examination Syndicate, which was reorganised in 1968 as the International Baccalaureate Organisation.
During the first five years of his time as director-general of the IBO, Peterson continued to live and work in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, despite the fact that the IBO offices were located in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. He remained in his job at Oxford University, retaining the directorial job with the IBO as a part time
Part time
A part-time job is a form of employment that carries fewer hours per week than a full-time job. Workers are considered to be part time if they commonly work fewer than 30 or 35 hours per week...
work. In 1973, he retired from his Oxford post and took up a part-time teaching job at the Hammersmith and West London College of Further Education, teaching Theory of Knowledge
Theory of Knowledge (IB course)
Theory of knowledge is a course in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme which is, in essence, similar to Epistemology courses offered in university.-Course description:...
and managing his IBO directorate from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Peterson retired in 1977, and he was made an honorary member of the IBO's Council of Foundation in 1983. In 1987, he published the book Schools Across Frontiers: The Story of the International Baccalaureate and the United World Colleges, a historical account on the development of the IB programmes and the United World Colleges
United World Colleges
UWC is an education movement comprising thirteen international schools and colleges, national committees in over 130 countries and a series of short educational programmes. The UWC movement aims to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future...
closely linked to them. Peterson died in 1988. The IBO Cardiff Headquarters building, Peterson House, is named after him.
Views and contributions
Peterson campaigned strongly against what he called 'over-specialisationAcademic specialization
In academia, specialization may be a course of study or major at an academic institution or may refer to the field that a specialist practices in....
' in British pre-university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
education. In his 1960 report Arts and Science Sides in the Sixth Form, he vocally described the need for a new kind of educational system, essentially very similar to what the IB Diploma Programme
IB Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for students aged 16–19that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva by...
eventually was to become. The new system would provide broader education for students, while maintaining a certain degree of chances for specialisation. He also emphasised the advantages of oral examinations and of assessing analytical skills in examinations rather than the ability to remember specific fact
Fact
A fact is something that has really occurred or is actually the case. The usual test for a statement of fact is verifiability, that is whether it can be shown to correspond to experience. Standard reference works are often used to check facts...
s.
Peterson is said to have shaped the entire educational philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
of the IBO, basing it on his own humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
and liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
beliefs on the concept of education. He felt the very purpose of education to be to stimulate the mind and encourage critical thought
Critical thinking
Critical thinking is the process or method of thinking that questions assumptions. It is a way of deciding whether a claim is true, false, or sometimes true and sometimes false, or partly true and partly false. The origins of critical thinking can be traced in Western thought to the Socratic...
, rather than focussing on simple memorisation of detail. His views are reflected in the structure of the IB Diploma Programme, in the way that it incorporates elements such as the Extended Essay
Extended Essay
The extended essay is a mandatory core component of the IB Diploma Programme. It is a research paper of up to 4,000 words giving students an opportunity to conduct independent research or investigation on a topic that interests them...
, the CAS
Creativity, Action, Service
Creativity, action, service is a mandatory core component of the IB Diploma Programme. It aims to provide a 'counterbalance' to the academic rigour of the educational programme. Before the 2010 examination there was a 150 hour requirement, with an approximately equal distribution of creativity,...
programme, and Theory of Knowledge
Theory of Knowledge (IB course)
Theory of knowledge is a course in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme which is, in essence, similar to Epistemology courses offered in university.-Course description:...
: the student is required to do independent research, to participate in meaningful tasks outside the immediate school community to benefit society, and to develop a concrete image on the nature of knowledge that he comes across in his studies.
Despite his assumption of the task of IBO director-general as only a part time job, Peterson was very productive in advancing the cause of the International Baccalaureate. He continued to be active for the cause even long after he retired from the director-general's post at the IBO. Peterson was viewed as very energetic and devoted to his cause, particularly by his colleague Robert Blackburn
Robert Blackburn (educationalist)
Robert Blackburn was an Irish educator. He was an early pioneer of the International Baccalaureate Organisation and was instrumental in establishing the first United World College in the early 1960s....
, who said:
In 1989, the IBO's Council of Foundation established the 'Peterson lectures' in honour of Alec Peterson. These periodical lectures are held by distinguished scholars on subjects pertaining to international education, in an attempt to search for new solutions and ideas on the subject matter.
External links
- The Peterson lectures at the IBO's website.