Latest IB curriculum development in HK

The programmes that make up the International Baccalaureate (IB), which was founded in 1968, were originally designed to support educational continuity for students who were moving between countries.

Beyond this enhanced “portability”, the IB system has also aimed to place a greater emphasis on critical thinking, cross-cultural understanding, and the exposure to a variety of points of view, than traditional curricula.

So in today’s fast-moving world, where families are becoming more mobile and outward-looking, the growing popularity of the IB curriculum in schools across the globe is probably not surprising.

According to the International Baccalaureate’s latest figures, 102 schools on the mainland now follow one or more of the four IB programmes for students aged from three to 19. Eighty-three of that 102 are private, and 19 are state schools.

Here in Hong Kong, the number of schools adopting IB programmes has grown to 56, made up of 51 private schools and five government schools.

“The [popularity of the] IB continues to grow very quickly in China and Hong Kong,” explains Stella Jiang, IB schools development manager, China.