In the past 5 years, IB World Schools in Hong Kong have increased their cohort size by roughly 200 to 250 students, and 10 new schools are awaiting approval to teach an IB programme in the coming year.
One reason is that more and more top universities recognize IB programmes for their strength at preparing students for higher education. And students and parents in Hong Kong, as elsewhere, are increasingly keen to experience the benefits an IB education offers.
For Louie Ka-chun, a graduating IB Diploma Programme (DP) student at the English Schools Foundation, the programme has helped open up access to world class higher education. He recently accepted an offer to study Law at Oxford University.
"I really enjoy the programme because of the breadth and diversity. It's more about how you think rather than what you actually know," said Louie Ka-chun.
Sebastien Barnard, IB Asia Pacific Regional Communications and Marketing Manager, said: "One critical reason universities are taking notice of the IB is that we haven’t had significant grade inflation over time.”
He also cited internal IB research, which shows that IB students are likelier to fulfil their degree obligations within the time limit, to obtain first-class degrees at top 500 universities, and to contribute more to the university community.
"These are aspects that universities are recognizing as attributes of an IB student," Sebastien Barnard added. As these qualities prepare students for higher education, they are also highly sought after by pupils themselves and their parents in terms of preparing students for life beyond university.
Read the full article on The Standard’s website, or find out more about how students can benefit from an IB education.
