School Guide

How to choose an international school in Malaysia

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Jul 15, 2016

There are plenty of international schools in Malaysia. In order to pick the right one, as parents, you have to make sure your child's education path are either flexible or catered to what you believe is best.

When you're choosing an international school, you would want to consider the following factors:

• The curriculum offered and choosing the right one
• Fee Structure
• Location
• Principal
• Extracurricular Activities

1. Be aware of the curriculums offered in Malaysia

Knowing the curriculums available

Parents would always provide the best for their children. However is the best, the best? In Malaysia, international schools around the Klang Valley and Greater Kuala Lumpur provide some of the finest curriculum recognized worldwide. It is important for parents to be aware of the curriculums available in Malaysia.

The British Curriculum is quite well known throughout Malaysia, the curriculum provides analytical and creative thinking skills, that parents believe their children will need in the working world. Due to the effectiveness and popularity of the curriculum in Malaysia, there are a lot of international schools that adopts the British Curriculum.

ELC International, Epsom College and British International School are among the notable international schools whcih provide the British curriculum. If you're aiming for British recognized qualification i.e. IGCSE and you have planned for your child to enroll in a British University, then this curriculum is suitable for you.

SEE MORE SCHOOLS THAT OFFERS THE BRITISH CURRICULUM

The IB or International Baccalaureate is quite the popular curriculum in recent years. IB teachers empower students not only to ask questions but also to solve problems that perhaps we as adults have not yet realized.

The programme ensures that the students have the ability to connect one subject of learning to another. It is a crucial part of the IB programme to have students relating what they have learned in class to their everyday lives.

If you're an IB parent, or you're more comfortable with your child pursing the IB. Fairview, IGB and UCSI Springhill are among the international schools in Malaysia that is known for their IB programmes.'

To understand the difference between the IB programme and IGCSE, we suggest you to go through the comparison between them.

SEE MORE SCHOOLS THAT OFFERS THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB)

IB and IGCSE are the two curriculum that stands out in Malaysia. In Kuala Lumpur, there are other curriculum available to cater to the multinational demographic of Malaysia. Raffles American School and Mont'Kiara International school are among the few schools that provide American Curriculum. Japanese and French Curriculum are also available in certain schools.

Islamic curriculum is also the rise as well. Islamic International Schools like Baseerah, Al-Noor and Idrissi are expanding in not only by the number of students, but branch schools as well.

2. Choose the suitable curriculum for your child

Choosing the right curriculum can be daunting and worrying for some. Ultimately you would want what is best for your child. When you're choosing a particular curriculum among international schools, consider the following factors:

• Expatriates Parents: If you're moving around from one country to one country, it's best for you to choose an International school that would fit you and your child's future. Ensure that the potential country you might go to has the same curriculum if not similar.
• Embassy Parents: Most embassy parents would resort to sending their child to an international school. However not every country have the choice of international schools they want. Embassy parents need to consider qualifications or pathways that are flexible for their child and maintain flexibility so that child will not face confusion upon transfer.
• Migrating Parents: If you plan on living and working in Malaysia, but you still want your child to have an international qualification. You would have a wider option to choose from. Since the concern is more towards your child rather than your potential country, the decision will be based on the child's interest and line of passion.

3. Make sure the Fee Structure is in budget

International schools tuition fees may vary, most of the fee would range around RM20,000 - RM30,000 per year. However it is always wise to check the fee structure of each respective international school. International schools would normally change their fee structure depending on the current economy and respective policies.

Also parents need to be aware of the hidden costs involved before enrolling their child. International schools in Malaysia are each unique in their own way, the fee breakdown for most schools would normally involve Deposits, Registration/Administration Fee, Facility Fee and other miscellaneous fees.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE FEES OF INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS IN KUALA LUMPUR

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS YEAR 7 TUITION FEES IN KUALA LUMPUR

4. Location, location, location

Understand that if you're living in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur's traffic is not friendly. You will need to know your routes and places otherwise you will be wasting your time in traffic.

Parents, if you're planning on sending your kids to an international school in Malaysia, be sure the school is within close vicinity to either your office or your home. Choosing the best school, but being very far is not a wise choice to make.

In Malaysia majority of the international schools are located in Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya, Shah Alam and of course Kuala Lumpur. The booming in education sector in Malaysia has increased the number of international schools in other states such as Johor Bahru, Johor and Ipoh, Perak.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS IN JOHORFEES IN SELECTED INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS IN KLANG VALLEY & GREATER KL