At an international school in China, a conversation unfolds between a mother and a teacher. The mother is worried whether the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum will prepare her child for China’s rigorous university entrance exams.
The teacher tries to reassure her that the IB’s focus on critical thinking, creativity and global citizenship will mean that her child will, indeed, be ready.
Exchanges like this are increasingly common across China and they highlight a key challenge that teachers and leaders in international schools are facing in the country: balancing Chinese educational traditions with international curricula.
Parent concerns about the IB
Education in China is deeply rooted in Confucian values that prioritise discipline, memorisation and exam-based success ().
The gaokao (national college entrance exam) remains the pinnacle of academic achievement, determining access to top universities and career prospects ().
Success is measured through high test scores and content mastery, often reinforced by private tutoring and long study hours.
In contrast, the IB and other international programmes champion inquiry-based learning, interdisciplinary thinking and personal growth ().
While many Chinese parents acknowledge the value of these competencies - particularly for students who plan to study abroad - they remain concerned about the academic rigour and university preparedness of IB programmes () with three key areas of concern:
- Assessment methods: parents often prefer frequent testing and standardised grading, while IB assessments rely on portfolios, presentations and reflections ().
- Extracurricular activities: IB values service learning, debate clubs and global citizenship initiatives, but some parents ().
- Stem emphasis: Chinese parents often worry that the IB does not emphasise science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) subjects enough, given their importance in China’s competitive jobs market ().
These concerns mirror findings from a Shanghai international school case study, in which parents said they valued global citizenship programmes but questioned their impact on university competitiveness ().
The hidden curriculum
Furthermore, beyond explicit teaching, schools in China convey unspoken cultural values - known as the hidden curriculum ().
In traditional Chinese schools, this curriculum reinforces values like collective responsibility and deference to authority (). By contrast, the IB promotes independent thought, self-expression and student agency. This divergence can create friction between student experiences at school and parental expectations at home.
Within this context it is clear that teachers and leaders in international schools must navigate two competing priorities:
- Adhering to the IB’s inquiry-based learning while ensuring that students remain competitive in traditional assessments.
- Managing parental involvement, which, while valuable, can sometimes pressure schools to adapt beyond the IB’s intended structure.
Balancing this requires deliberate strategies, including transparent communication, curriculum adaptation and teacher training.
1. Transparent communication and parent education
- Hosting workshops explaining the long-term benefits of IB learning.
- Providing data on IB graduate success in accessing major universities ().
- Offering one-on-one meetings to address concerns and clarify misconceptions.
2. Curriculum adaptation and compromise
- Integrating structured assessments within IB coursework to satisfy traditional expectations.
- Offering preparatory programmes for standardised exams, such as mock gaokao tests ().
- Emphasising Stem subjects through IB’s interdisciplinary approach ().
3. Teacher training and student support
- Equipping educators with cross-cultural communication skills to navigate parental concerns effectively ().
- Providing mentorship programmes to help students balance academic pressures with the IB’s holistic approach.
- Encouraging global citizenship projects, connecting IB ideals with real-world applications ().
At the Canadian International School of Hefei, we have taken steps to bridge this gap by offering parent workshops on literacy and math instruction, as well as curriculum nights dedicated to inquiry-based learning.
These sessions help parents to better understand how IB principles align with academic excellence. One particularly effective approach has been student-led conferences, where students take ownership of their learning by presenting their progress to their families.
This method has not only eased parental concerns but has also fostered stronger student agency and engagement. Over time, we have seen increased parental buy-in, with more families embracing the IB framework and expressing greater confidence in its approach.
Schools have to adapt
Overall, the tension between Chinese parents’ expectations and international curricula is unlikely to disappear.
However, it presents an opportunity for innovation in education. Schools must continually adapt, blending the best of both worlds to create a model that is academically rigorous, globally relevant and culturally sensitive.
For educators, the challenge is not just teaching content but building trust. Demonstrating that an IB education, or, indeed, any other non-Chinese curriculum, prepares students for the future - and not just the next test - is essential.
Victoria Quercia is a G1 homeroom teacher and lower primary literacy lead at the Canadian International School of Hefei. She has been teaching in China for six years
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