Neoliberal Tensions and the Pursuit of Holistic Education in International Baccalaureate Schools
By Suraiya Abdul Hameed, Yu-Chih Li, and Jack Tsao
The COVID-19 pandemic served as an unprecedented stress test for global education systems. For International Baccalaureate (IB) schools in Asia, it created a profound paradox: a sudden disruption of neoliberal, market-driven metrics that unexpectedly allowed educators to reclaim their foundational, holistic ideals.
But as the crisis subsides, can this paradigm shift survive the return to market realities?
In our qualitative comparative study, published in The Australian Educational Researcher, we investigate how IB schools across Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan navigate the persistent friction between idealist educational philosophies and performative market pressures. Our study was based on in-depth interviews with 45 educators and school leaders across 15 IB institutions. Our research sought to uncover how these schools managed the competing demands of market efficiency and educational idealism during a period of profound global disruption.
Key findings and contributions
- The pandemic temporarily weakened the influence of neoliberal flows. Freed momentarily from the weight of performative metrics, schools were able to prioritise student well-being, holistic missions, and collaborative learning.
Nonetheless, this temporary reprieve exposed deep-seated structural barriers. Current frameworks continue to restrict access primarily to socioeconomically advantaged students. High tuition fees, stringent English language requirements, and relentless performance expectations leave schools struggling to reconcile their inclusive, global ideals with the harsh realities of educational marketisation.
Implications for practice or policy
For IBO, our findings indicate the need to develop new frameworks to balance the competing demands that go beyond the marketisation versus educational ideals dichotomy, toward reconceptualising how educational excellence is defined and measured in international education.
For school leaders, disparities in collaborative engagement and professional development across contexts show the need to formalise local and regional partnerships.
Cite this research:
Hameed, S.A., Li, YC. & Tsao, J. (2025). Navigating the neoliberal tensions during the COVID-19 pandemic- IB practices within Singapore, Hong Kong & Taiwan. The Australian Educational Researcher. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-025-00884-8