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South China Morning Post
09-07-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
One-third of Hong Kong IB candidates achieve near-perfect scores
A third of Hong Kong students enrolled in this year's International Baccalaureate (IB) programme have achieved near-perfect or full marks, accounting for nearly 10 per cent of the top achievers globally, according to the latest data. Schools offering the curriculum attributed the students' performance to their strengths in languages, as well as the local culture that placed great emphasis on academic excellence. Pupils from Hong Kong achieved an average total points score that was significantly higher than the global one, according to figures obtained by the Post from the IB body. Over the weekend, 202,000 pupils worldwide, including about 2,600 in Hong Kong, received their results. A total of 9,456 students across the world scored more than 40 out of 45 for the programme, according to the IB organisation. Of them, 871, or 9.2 per cent, were from Hong Kong. This accounts for about 33 per cent of all the city's candidates. But there was no breakdown of the number who achieved full marks. To obtain a diploma, candidates must earn at least 24 points and satisfy specific requirements. No school like home: why Hong Kong parents are choosing home-schooling At least 37 Hong Kong pupils achieved the full 45 points in this year, with 15 from the English Schools Foundation (ESF), the city's largest international school group. According to IB figures, pupils in Hong Kong achieved an average score of 36.72 points, surpassing the global average of 30.58. Their average grade was 5.78, compared with the global one of 4.89. The pass rate of Hong Kong candidates was 97.02, well above the global rate of 81.26. Chau Chor-shing, principal of Po Leung Kuk Ngan Po Ling College, said Hong Kong students took their studies seriously and schools had been offering support measures to cater for their different needs. 'Hong Kong schools would offer supporting measures to cater for the needs of the less able students and high achievers. Western countries may not do so well in this regard when compared with Hong Kong,' he said. Chau added that parents in Hong Kong prioritised academic performance even if their children excelled in sports, and might arrange tutorial classes for them. Jenny Chong Mei-chun, head principal of Po Leung Kuk Choi Kai Yau School, said the local education system's strong focus on bilingualism paved the way for students to achieve success in the IB. 'IB requires students to know two languages while Hong Kong attaches great importance to Chinese and English since preschool. Students have been growing up in a bilingual environment and that makes their language proficiency up to IB's standard,' she said. Chong said Hong Kong parents gave strong support to children's academic performance and would try their best to address their study needs. Hong Kong's top or near-perfect scorers represent nearly 10 per cent of top achievers globally. Photo: Edmond So Belinda Ng, the IB coordinator for St Paul's Co-educational College, also said Hong Kong parents' support was essential to students' success. 'To some extent, I think it is because the parents take children's studies seriously; they spend plenty of time and resources to help their kids, like arranging tutorial classes and extracurricular activities in their early years,' she said. 'Parents want them to perform well at the starting line and parenting plays a very important role in their studies.' IB director general Olli-Pekka Heinonen said that this year's results inspired him. 'I'm inspired by the dedication, resilience, and compassion shown by IB students during such a complex time in the world,' he said. 'As IB graduates move forward – into higher education, careers or service to their communities – they carry with them the competencies, values and global mindset needed to thrive and make a meaningful difference. 'IB graduates leave not only with knowledge, but also with the perspective and purpose to lead, serve, and shape a better world.' The IB programme is a pre-university pathway and an internationally recognised curriculum, like its counterpart, the A-levels, which are more subject-specific. Apart from the ESF, the German Swiss International School and Victoria Shanghai Academy each had five top scorers. The Diocesan Boys' School had three. The Canadian International School of Hong Kong and Po Leung Kuk Ngan Po Ling College each had two of the city's top scorers. Singapore International School in Hong Kong, the Independent Schools Foundation Academy, Malvern College Hong Kong, Po Leung Kuk Choi Kai Yau School and St Paul's Co-educational College each had one pupil achieving 45 points.
South China Morning Post
08-07-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
One-third of Hong Kong IB candidates attain near-perfect or full marks
A third of Hong Kong pupils taking this year's International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations have attained near-perfect or full marks, representing nearly 10 per cent of the top achievers globally, according to the latest data. Advertisement Schools offering the curriculum attributed the students' performance to their strengths in mathematics and languages, as well as the local culture that placed great emphasis on academic excellence. Pupils from Hong Kong achieved an average total points score that was significantly higher than the global one, according to figures obtained by the Post from the IB body. Over the weekend, 202,000 pupils worldwide, including about 2,600 in Hong Kong, received their exam results. A total of 9,456 students across the world scored more than 40 out of 45 in the exam, according to the IB organisation. Advertisement Of them, 871, or 9.2 per cent, were from Hong Kong. This accounts for about 33 per cent of all the city's candidates. But there was no breakdown of the number who achieved full marks.
