Author: Santhi Latha
In the past, the simple and expected route for the vast majority of Malaysian parents was to enroll their children at the nearest government school and let the natural progression of the Malaysian education system take its course. However, this expectation has changed since the removal of the quota for enrollments of Malaysian students in international schools in 2012 by the Malaysian Ministry of Education. This easing of restrictions has resulted in a surge in enrollments in international schools and an increase of the number of such schools now available to cater to this demand.
Age of Commencement and Completion of Education
Most international schools allow children to commence the equivalent of Primary 1 in the public school system at the age of 6 instead of 7. This means that in the international school system your child will then complete the equivalent of Form 5 at the age of 16 instead of 17.
Medium of Instruction
The Malaysian national schools curriculum utilizes Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction and English language is a compulsory second language subject, while the international schools’ curriculums are primarily conducted in English.
The Dollars and Sense
Parents are often uncertain about whether to enroll their child in an international school and the primary deterrent is usually the cost of doing so. With the increase in the number of international schools in the Malaysia, however, fees have become more competitive as these institutions vie for increased enrollments.
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This article originally appeared on Education Destination Malaysia. To read more about key factors for Malaysian parents to consider when choosing between a national or international school, please click here.