Schools for children of MM2H Holders: Quality education options in Malaysia

Malaysia's education system is of a high standard and typically MM2H-holders encounter few issues finding a suitable school for their kids.

Now, that being said, there still is somewhat of a language barrier at play, even though English is spoken widely. After all, the official local language in Malaysia remains Bahasa Melayu, which, for the most part, is the lingua franca at the majority of the public schools.

In light of this potential language obstacle, the majority of Belgian MM2H-holders tend to prefer placing their children in one of Malaysia's private or international schools, where more often than not, it's English that's the common language. Of course, this works out well, since most Belgians, young and old, are perfectly capable of conversing in English.

Incidentally, FYI, Preschool begins at age four in Malaysia, but schooling only becomes compulsory from age 6, i.e. elementary school. It remains compulsory until age 18, i.e. secondary school.

Let's break down the education options available.

Public Schools

There 's no shortage of rather good public schools in Malaysia, where the quality of education is of a very decent level. Additionally, attending a public school is an excellent way for kids with an overseas background to integrate with the locals. Not to mention that being exposed to Bahasa at a school-going age improves fluency and generally fast-tracks their take-up of the language. With Malaysia and Indonesia being up and coming Asian Tigers, being fluent in their language is always going to open doors.

Nevertheless, the full-on immersion approach can be a little too much of a good thing for some kids, in which case it's good to know that alternatives are readily available. The other drawback of public school is that the student/teacher ratio can be a bit on the high side.

Private Schools

There are a number of good private schools in Malaysia, but it goes without saying that they're more costly than government-run public schools. Clearly though, the higher expenses are justified by parents, given the considerable benefits of private schools. These include more comprehensive resources per school and generally a better student/teacher ratio.

Bottom line. parents can expect good quality education at private schools. And indeed, cost-wise too, private schools are a great trade-off between public schools and international schools.

It's good to know also that students don't need any special documentation to attend private school. Enrolling in a private school is relatively straightforward.

What's also become evident is that foreign kids going to private schools are less likely to struggle with the culture shock some of their friends at public school may encounter. Additionally, private school teachers have undergone extensive educational courses with the objective to hone both their communication skills and their ability to handle students from different cultures and backgrounds. These aspects are not to be underestimated.

International Schools

With more than 170 of them to choose from, MM2H-holders who wish to enroll their kids at an international school have plenty of choice in Malaysia. Not only do these schools offer the benefit of their familiar curriculum, but most can also hold their own vis á vis their counterparts in Singapore.

For obvious reasons, most international schools in Malaysia are based in Kuala Lumpur. The aim of these schools is to retain the culture, language and teaching methodologies of their country of origin. The most commonly offered foreign curriculum is the English National Curriculum, including the Cambridge IGCSE and A-Levels. That said, these days, more and more schools also offer the IB (International Baccalaureate) programme, as well as Indian, Australian and American systems.

Clearly, foreign children, including of course Belgian kids, tend to adjust more easily in an international school setting, thanks to the presence of at least some parallels to schools in Belgium. International schools also give students and their parents the chance to meet other expat families. In fact, this spillover networking benefit can turn out to be quite the game-changer later on in life.

Universities & Colleges

Malaysia, especially the greater Kuala Lumpur area, is on its way to becoming Asia's education hub and with good reason. The capital offers a good number of internationally recognized tertiary institutions for anyone intending to further hone their academic knowledge and/or other skills. In fact, Kuala Lumpur is a thriving center of excellence in matters of education and student diversity and it's ranked second in the world in terms of affordability of higher education.

There are several public universities that offer Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degrees, along with several polytechnic, communal and public colleges that also offer degrees and certificates.

Meanwhile, language students can opt for a recognized certificate in Spanish language studies (DELE), French (DELF) or German (Goethe Zertifikat, GZ), to name several of the popular courses available now.

Incidentally, Malaysia's higher educational institutions enjoy full-on government financial backing, the purpose being for Malaysia's tertiary education to shine on the international stage.

Private Tuition

When kinds are lagging a little with a particular subject, private tuition is widely available in Malaysia. As a matter of fact, reflecting the typically fairly competitive milieu surrounding international schools, some parents engage a private tutor for their kids with the objective to provide a little post-school boost. Whatever the motive, it's good to know that both virtual and in-person private tuition are available.

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