International Baccalaureate (IB)

In a rapidly changing world where students are expected to have an international mindset, selecting a suitable school and curriculum is often a major concern for parents and children alike.

In Hong Kong, the international schools offer two main curriculum options: working towards A-levels or equivalent and the increasingly popular International Baccalaureate (IB) programme. In the local education system, students take the HKDSE (Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education). This entails four core subjects – Chinese, English, mathematics and liberal studies - and two or three elective subjects. Exam results are graded in five levels, with a score of five being the highest. The HKDSE has replaced A-levels as the basic requirement for Hong Kong students wanting to apply to local universities, though several direct-subsidy “local” schools with a good reputation also offer the IB or British-style GCSE A-levels.

While the IB diploma, HKDSE and A-levels each provide a pathway to university, the respective programmes have their supporters and critics. For instance, one concern about the IB curriculum is that it favours breadth over depth. In other respects, the Hong Kong education system is also accused of being too exam-focused and driven by rote learning. In recent years, though, there has been a gradual move towards a more holistic approach with greater attention paid to continuous assessment, both core principles of the established IB approach.

Overall, the latest worldwide IB diploma results show that pupils in Hong Kong outperformed their fellow students around the world. The mean score locally this year was 35.63, well above last year’s worldwide mean score of 29.9. The results also revealed that 12 Hong Kong students achieved a perfect score of 45 in their exams.

Currently, there are 52 IB schools in Hong Kong offering one or more of the three programmes. In total, 28 schools teach the primary years programme (PYP), nine offer the middle years programme (MYP) and 29 schools offer the diploma taken by pupils in their final two years. Each curriculum is designed to provide a broad and balanced education.

For example, the PYP designed for 3- to 12-year-olds focuses on the development of the whole child, both in the classroom and in the world outside.