Part 2: More parents are choosing international education in Malaysia
SchoolAdvisor -October 30, 2019 8:30 AM
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Although there are several tiers of international schools in Malaysia based on their fee structure, the fact remains that private and international schools are more expensive than public schools.

Malaysian parents are ready to compromise on their lifestyle and give up on some luxuries to give their children an international education.

Huang Paik Ling first enrolled her three children into a Chinese national school but later decided to move them to an international school instead.

She says, “My children struggled with the medium of teaching as we do not speak the language at home. I also felt the curriculum had a one size fit all approach.”




“The students are taught that there is only one way of problem solving, and that is the teacher’s way. Classes often have up to 45 kids, hence, teachers do not have the time to give personalised attention.”

“As a result, the ones given attention are the ones who excel and ironically, the ones who need more help are neglected.”

The school her children currently attend follow a more modernised method of teaching, where there is a heavy emphasis on values and character building.

“Quality academics is a given hence this is definitely a plus point. Teachers are genuinely caring and don’t mind staying back after school on their own time to coach the weaker students.”


Although she is concerned that her children might grow up feeling privileged and disengaged from the real world after attending an international school, she is more than happy she made the switch.

“I am happy that my children are learning to think as opposed to being spoon fed,” she reasons.

Language is the main reason Zaza Hasny made the switch from public to international school for her children.

She shares, “My boys are better in English than Bahasa Malaysia and this made coping with the local syllabus harder for them.”

“We found an international Islamic school that offers IGCSE curriculum with subjects taught in English, while also having routine Islamic studies. My boys are doing extremely well in this school.”

For Junita, on the other hand, the reason for choosing an international school over a public school was more about giving her children global exposure while striking a balance between academics and extra-curricular activities.

“The uncertainty and rapid changes in our local education system worries me. There should be more emphasis on English because, like it or not, it is a global language.”

“But holding on to my roots is also important so I found an international school that puts emphasis on English but also upholds Asian values, so they are rather strict in terms of discipline.”

“The school my children currently attend also places great value on a good balance of academics and sports which is vital to me. Sport plays a crucial role in instilling good sportsmanship, developing soft skills and learning to play/work as a team which I find very lacking in today’s young generation,” she elaborates.

Private and international schools for holistic education

Education, after all, is not just about academics but also building character, and educating a child takes three: school, parents and the child itself.

The increasing number of international schools is good not only for expatriate parents and children but Malaysian families too.

Local children attending these international schools are being exposed to a diverse curriculum, cultures and languages from a young age, helping them to grow to be true global citizens.

Similarly, private schools can be a great option too although they will probably not have as diverse a classroom as an international school.

Nevertheless, the point to note is that they provide a much-coveted global exposure with a local flavour, meaning your children get to be global citizens, but have their roots firmly in their own country

Rich people problem.

study high high end up jadi grab.
wanna success..it all about connection and social skills...
that y they send them to internation school.

Boley mampu spend 100k per annum per kid then why not lol

Mostly can afford primary school, when move to secondary cannot afford have to sent back to sekolah menengah

Ironically govt still struggle to recognize UEC when more and more ppl already ditch public school in other ways.

First: They are rich
Second: Education in those SJK/SMK only can learn racist.

sacrifice so much for kids
later kids accidents dead left u alone
or kids become midly sucesful and prig abandon u at folks home

Be like Jho Lo! When your BFF is the PM!

It's ironic, during 50s through 60s, our education is top notch UK style. Schools like penang free school, st John etc all international standard, fees also cheap. Nowadays to get same education need to pay top dollar.

What you pay is what you get. I've a kid in SK and that school is even a sekolah cemerlang but the teachers are hardly in class and no mandarin teacher for 3 years now. Whereas my other kid in private school, qualified dedicated teachers and they're even learning coding at Standard 1.

There is 3 type tiers schools, choose what you can afford. I'm only paying around 1.2k monthly school fees.

This post has been edited by kkkw80: Oct 30 2019, 09:42 AM

Primary no need go International School lah. Lots of options nowadays from orang kaya International School (RM50k to RM100k+ a year), to middle class International School(anywhere from RM10k to RM50k) to cheap-cheap Homeschool (<rm10k a year).

My son goes to a middle class International School as well, while my nephew goes to a HomeSchool (already completed his O-LEVEL), now studying in Taylor.

salah BN

protek protek, international school for disrupting unity

owai

everything need money ....... * headache*

can PM which skoll that price?

ok la, learn in english better than malay.

now go stall or kopitiam or mamak, speak malay also the people dun understand coz mostly bangala and nepalese.. end up also just point here and there + some english.

learn english at least easier later in the corporate world. as for malay, know how to read road signs good enough already.

This post has been edited by brkli: Oct 30 2019, 09:46 AM

See, Malaysian salary all /k standard, can afford international school, why gov worry about Malaysia bankrupt

enroll public school also pay extra with multiple subject tuition every month

damn 1.2k monthly rly 20k standard

wow

bright future ur kids

Provided you can pay for it, anything goes.

3 children at what? MYR 20k min? That's MYR60k after tax.
Guess there are lots of cronies still, in Malaysia

Must admit that the Chinese schools are like that. One way street. No thinking allowed!

This post has been edited by prophetjul: Oct 30 2019, 09:58 AM

Im glad bumi got tongkat can enter mrsm.

Decent system, teacher, environment for relatively cheap price.

Tenby

They dont want free comic?

Its considered affordable compared to BSKL 51k per year, Epsom 85k, ISKL 100k and this is for Year 1

Ooo..new intake almost 1.5k standard 1..anywya
thanks..

You sure that article is not sponsored by the international schools council ah?

From what I heard through the grapevine, international and private schools are losing their appeal due to rising fee costs and also not being much better over national schools.

Why spend over 50k-100k per year per child when you can save up that money and send the kid to Oxford or Yale when he/she gets to university age?

The fees go up as your kid gets older. Wait till you see the secondary school fees and all the extras that you have to buy. Mac books anyone? Lol.

My kid have swimming class at IGB International school at sh buloh.. nowonder parent willing to pay that amount.. top notch facilities

This post has been edited by ganz: Oct 30 2019, 10:45 AM

That's true.

MYR20k is probably for primary school only.
Understand someone 'local' run international schools are charging some MYR40 to 50k p annum.

me myself paid for my daughter:

Monthly : 1.1k
Reg fee (every year) : 5k

Reason being: the only school near my house that can send morning pickup around 6pm. With meals, co-co and clubs all paid for

You can get that sort of facilities by just joining a well known golf or country club. Even cheaper in the long run. Lol.

T20 problem. Got money, no problem.

If got more money, instead of the kids going to school, bring the school to home (or mansion / palace). Teacher come over and teach at home.

Because we are allowing politics inside education. Instead of focusing what the world needs, we focus on what the politicians wants.

May I know what school because I can afford this.

kiasuuuu

I heard through the grapevine that it’s only the bottom 20% of the T20 and the top 20% of the M40 (upper middle class) are sending their kids to private and international schools.

The elites are pulling their kids out of international and private schools. They are sending their kids to national schools to support our school curriculum system.

not before the convert school become standard .... that where the quality drop

mandrin.

Err. Inflation. last time ice cream 20 sen, nasi lemak 50 sen...
Why inflation? blame capitalism. Owai

Population also doubled since 50s 60s. Higher demand while supply maintained.


sorry, may I ask why you bias between two children?

if luxury old folk homes. im good.

Study so high, kena kecam a bit in social media terus 14th floor

if u can afford 1 why not? as long not sjk.lol

Most PH politicians and top business people are sending their kids to national schools now as they are leading by example.

The only connections your kids are gonna get by going to privately funded schools are either diplomat’s kids who will only be around for 1-2 years before they return back to their own country to be reassigned to another country/desk job or other upper middle class kids whose parents send them there in the hopes of getting connections. Lol.

I've studied in both government school and international.

Honestly both has its own good and bad. I think experience both is the best.

More friends to life.

Not rly.. The people you'll meet at international schools are actually lacking on social skills compared to smk tbh.

international school pun if the kids are bengap, entitled and lazy as fak, just waste money only

With the things you see coming from the edu ministry, any sane man with money will switch.

You syiok syiok piap piap make anak, you bear a responsibility to raise them up to the best of your abilities. Don't say what kena kecam then suicide. That's just parents being out of touch with their kids.

After they reach certain age, you've done your part. What happen to them is the consequences of their own action.

cos many parents saw how jho low went to prestigious school in UK n got his arab connections thr

these parents wan to folo the same thing n wan their children b the nex jho low n dun mind gambling hundreds of thousands or even millions for their children to hav a chance to get dat connection

Don't have kid from start. Imagine the money save to pay for a char siew, I can do so much. Want go kuda go Japan? Every 3 months saving can go.

If i got the monies i'm gonna send my kids to prestigious sch like Jho Low. Make fren with the elites next time goyang kaki one phone call can transfer 100 million liao

Sent the 1st to SK and saw the bad state SK is, send 2nd to private school instead. Suggested 1st kid to pull out and join 2nd in private school but he didnt want due to his friends there. He will after he finishes his standard 6

That's what happens when the gov policy is not in sync with public expectation...

You pay tax for something you don't like, then pay more money for what you like loh....

Kebangsaan and vernacular raced base.
Private school and international school muhibbah. boleh tanya najib n hishamuddin n nazri.

I believe its not all about money to get in there.

You require connection as well bro. Please don't tell me got money got connection.

There will always be people richer than you.. and Wharton Biz School.. you need to include different nationalities around the world who equally desire to send their kids there.

I have a friend who sent his son to one of the premier schools. Think 5k/month just for the fees and not including all the other activities. Had to withdraw him after 1 year and put him in a cheaper school.

international schools are overrated la

send kids to international school because they can't deal with the language.

way to breed entitled strawberries.

This post has been edited by dares: Oct 30 2019, 12:01 PM

true.. but is is embedded in the curricular of the school..during my kid class.. i just wander around to see the class room.. totally different.. the way they let the kid think.. art class

PM tepi

That’s why they are followers (aka sheeps) and not trendsetters or leaders.

To tell you the truth, Jho Low went to a prestigious business school from a top Ivy League university in the states (Wharton). That’s where he build most of his connections from.

Primary and Secondary education is just a place where you learn the basics. You don’t need to blow a chunk of your education budget on something so basic. It’s the university level education that matters more.

cukur ekonomi malaysia baru bagus
parents send children to international school

saw few post in FB abount next year standard 4 Math syllabus look like a doom.. those who are not math driven person difinetly will fail

These kids will come out to be spoilt brats as there is no punishments in international private schools.

Besides school fees, need to make donations to ahem ppl.
These scandals are very well known.

maybe punishment is the result student nowadys become spoilt ?

Why? Cannot afford?

Also that lah, but you also need connection to just reach this people.

Can't just outright wanna dump money even you're rich.

They say money cant buy class.

rich liberals and musyrikin only

What is “like a doom”?

Anyways, my kids go to national schools and they don’t have any problem coping with the school syllabus. The teachers are also very dedicated and punctual. So far, we only experienced a class teacher who went on maternity leave but a substitute teacher was on hand to continue the lessons.

He must be something as well from Uplands Penang > Harrow School UK

If Harrow School > UITM or UM then really topkek already huhu.

My wife went to LSE in London from a national school. It happens all the time.

I have friends from Sri Cempaka who end up being less connected satisfied and not as rich happy as I am.

The point is that Jho Low’s parents were already well connected and quite rich before. You just can’t send your kids to international school and see your kids becoming multi billionaires in the near future.

This post has been edited by friedricetheman: Oct 30 2019, 12:40 PM

yeah, those sheeps, i rmb i was listening to radio and got 1 part the DJ interview a parent why she sent her children to international school, she say its not about the education quality or environment etc, she just want her children to build connections wif other rich ppl in the school and help her children succeed in future, she say jho low inspired her , when i hear that i was like

That’s the target demographics for private and internationals schools.

The funny thing is that the only connections that her kids are going to make are with other like minded parent’s kids. Those who send their kids to these schools in the hopes of making good connections. Lol.

Poor parents want their kids to become doctors or lawyers and on a full scholarship. When their kids cannot get Medical scholarship but instead got Food Science or Engineering, they cry and beat their chest on national newspapers.

Middle class parents want their kids to get connections with VIPs. So they send their kids to expensive schools. Then, their kids end up becoming DJs or part of the Actor’s Studio’s lighting crew due to the encouragement they get to “do what they love” and “be themselves”.

This post has been edited by friedricetheman: Oct 30 2019, 12:49 PM

Sekolah Tahfiz best school

Face is everything to this type of people....end up get beaten up and died early due to arrogance...fact of life

and also even if there are rich ppl in international/private schools, those rich ppl wont mix wif middle class kids, they are very realistic ppl, so if lets say u are a middle class parent, u send ur children to private school hoping that he get connection, but in the end he kena ignored by those rich kids n have no friends thr

i got 1 relative, he sent his son to private school from national school, before he went to private school, he is very down to earth guy, play games sports etc just like other kids, but after he went to private school, he totally changed, everything also wan branded, from top to toe all branded stuffs, and forced his parents to buy those expensive stuffs, he say if dont buy for him then his classmates will not mix wif him, damn sad really, every word coming out from his mouth is about money money money and branded stuffs. and worse thing is his parents is not rich, just middle class, and they have to fund his rich boy lifestyle, sometimes i also kesian them haihhh

So true. LOL

In one particular international school I know, there's a group of rough-looking Mandarin speaking students (they are also known as the troublemakers in school) who click together and they ended up speaking Mandarin every single day despite the school policy requiring all students to speak English in school.

I don't know what's the point of they being in that school.

Bodo la class with 40++ ppl are much healthier than class with less than 10 ppl. At least u can choose friends, communicate with other groups of ppl, and negotiation bargain.

The reason us has many shooting case because stranded inside 10++ ppl classroom. So limited social and emotionally easily affected if kena boycotted.

Pm also, thanks

Need to think of which university parents can send their kids to if they dont plan to sit for SPM

This is what a relative of mine is doing now. She got many kids, but send the most prettiest kid into intl, despite household income about 15k. She needs to thank her lucky stars that her kind mil in village never take any care-taking fees for all her remainder kids. Yes, she groom only one and all other kids dumped in village.

Then u lack social unless ur kid is male n teach is 30s which which sbe can also teach social

pretty got chance to get rich bf in intl school, in future duneed work cn be rich tai tai lol

How connected you become boils down to dumb luck. Plain and simple.

I never actively seek out well connected people nor did my parents cared about getting strong cables. They always wanted me to be happy in life and to try my best.

But somehow I ended up marrying into a well connected family by sheer dumb luck. She was low profile and didn’t even mentioned who her dad was until after our first year of dating seriously.

I have also yet to ask my FIL for any favors of any kind and am planning not to for as long as I live.

I fall into the middle class bracket if anyone is wondering. So I am not part of /k 20k a month demographics. I earn around a quarter of that amount only.

This post has been edited by friedricetheman: Oct 30 2019, 02:01 PM

LSE is top but not difficult to get in. Usually follow KC > LSE path

To enter Harrow or Eton or Westminster high school you gotta be either super smart or well connected that was my point.

Why are you comparing schools with universities?

But yes, you have a point there. So, in conclusion, can we say that Jho Low was rich and well connected even BEFORE he went to Harrow?

I'm suggesting the timeline from Uplands > Harrow already determined that you're either super smart , rich and well connected.

I'm not disagreeing your point there but i'd think its silly when reading comments here 'if i have money.. ill definitely send my kids to top unis like jho low' kek..

As if it is effortless.

Ni sampah punya artikel. Mana research and findings?

Lot of org kaya stil send their children to sekolah kebangsaan la. Private school nak jd spoil brat, anakku sazali boleh la hantar to private school

This post has been edited by oc_rooney: Oct 30 2019, 02:17 PM

If all goes well, this is the plan.
But the family of her mil is quite angry over the situation. Her pitiful mil gets no money no helper, single handed have to care for so many kids, her house is practically a kindergarten with no personal life. Cooking and getting grocery is a trouble without money and help. People who barely knows this relative thought she only one kid since rest dumped in village.

To me, it all boils down to luck. You may have the worst upbringing and grew up dirt poor in the slums, but if Lady Luck shines upon you, you will rise up and become a world beater.

Now you're speaking about the low probability cases.

Also cannot disregard in the entire data set.

Nah dude.

I had the shittiest of luck growing up. If there was ever a chance of getting struck by lightning while standing in a bus stop , I would be it (and I was stuck by lightning, funnily enough with an old entry and exit scar to show).

I grew up in a poor family. Lived in a wooden shack with zinc roof until I was old enough to go to kindie. That was when my parents saved up enough money to rent a place in a really rough part of town.

My clothes and shoes were always much bigger as I was supposed to grow into them. Imagine being a standard one kid with oversized uniform and when I hit Standard 6, my buttons were stretched and popping out.

When I look back, I smile as I see how far I have come.

This post has been edited by friedricetheman: Oct 30 2019, 02:40 PM

If that makes you feel grateful for the present reflecting back.

You obviously know the low probability above I meant is people who got luck + got into top unis in the world - Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge and others..

My parents too didn't have an easy life but i don't comment or blame them for that.

haha quite an asshole mum also

My plan is to send my kids ton kebangsaan so they know what it means to be Malaysian, then private school when menengah so they know what it means to be more global.

Reach university age they can choose.