Kuala Lumpur, officially known as the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and also known as the KL, is the state and capital of Malaysia. Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur not only have some best tourist destinations in the world but also have some of the best international schools and primary schools which are worth trying.
Curricular emphasis of pre-school and primary schools in Malaysia!
The Malaysian education system is unique and meets the educational needs of its multinational society. At the elementary school level, students have the option to choose the type of teaching they wish to pursue.
One can choose to study in national schools that use the national language i.e. Malay (Bahasa Malaysia) as the language of instruction, or Chinese / Tamil schools that use Chinese / Tamil as the language of instruction; or international schools that use English as the language of instruction.
It is therefore common to see young Malaysian students fluent in many languages other than their mother tongue. This multilingual environment in Malaysia has made the nation a centre of academic success for pre-tertiary education.
Primary education is divided into two phases – Phase I (Standard 1 – 3) and Phase II (Standard 4 – 6). In Phase I, the emphasis is on acquiring strong reading, writing and math skills while in Phase II, the effectiveness of these skills is reinforced and emphasized to build a solid foundation for content and basic science.
In short, six years of elementary school education focuses on:
- Personality development.
- Attitude.
- Values.
- Learning skills, and
- Thinking skills and the acquisition of knowledge, and
- Pre-service education.
- Social and other positive skills that will prepare them for secondary schooling.
4 reasons why parents opt for International schools in Malaysia
According to an article published last year by Relocate Global, the number of English-speaking schools in the country has grown by 75% since 2012, and student enrolment has increased by 87%. Any Malaysian can vouch for the fact that there are many good international schools in Malaysia.
Now, let’s have a quick look at why parents are opting for International schools in Malaysia?
Holistic education
Malaysian public education has always focused on studies, emphasizing memorization and test-based assessment. Therefore, students spend most of their time listening to a teacher-prepared lesson that slowly develops their critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities. International schools take a learning approach with a focus on personal development by encouraging students to “think outside the box”.
These seem to be the best tools in helping students develop into well-adjusted adults who are able to cope well in real-life situations.
Different curriculum
Public schools have a standard curriculum in which every learner must take the same core subjects and electives.
Although students may choose to enter the arts or sciences of high school, the emphasis is on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) compared to the arts.
On the other hand, international schools use an international curriculum, which is globally recognized and fully operated in English.
These courses differ from local programs by offering a wide range of arts and personality courses that are not available in most public schools. This includes fine art, music, communication and drama.
Low student and teacher ratio
It is always best if the teacher can help every single student in his or her class. However, sometimes that is not possible, especially in public schools where the average number of students in a class may increase to 40.
Public school teachers have to teach several classes a day so they cannot take care of each student. Therefore, students will need to study on their own or in private after school.
On the other hand, the sizes of small classes in international primary schools allow teachers to spend more time sharpening or surpassing any of their student’s strengths and weaknesses in any area or subject.
Exposure to new cultures
Malaysia is divided by race and culture. However, for students who have grown up in the country, these traditions are intertwined over the years and are commonplace.
International schools offer the option to increase the interaction of people other than Malaysians only to people from different countries, who may have very different cultures than only Asians. This will expose children to different people and situations in order to increase their understanding and acceptance of people from different backgrounds.
Conclusion
These were some of the best features of International primary schools in Malaysia. This also holds true about Preschool education and other higher secondary education too.
