IB Schools in Malaysia
If you’re a prospective parent searching for “IB Schools in Malaysia” on Google, you’re might end up with some confusing results. Why?
There are quite a few international schools in Malaysia that offer only a part of the IB curriculum - usually the IB Diploma in the final two years of high school. Usually, these schools are very ‘British’ in approach and don’t really adhere to the IB’s learning culture, focus on learner skills, internationalism and so on. (It is also worth nothing that often these schools also have pretty tiny IB Diploma cohorts - think 30-40 students across their entire 2-year programme - with most students preferring to take A Levels). However, Google won't tell you any of that...so your 'IB schools' list can actually end up pretty long...and rather inaccurate!
In all honesty, the IB Diploma isn’t nearly as popular here in Malaysia as it is in other large Asian cities, like Singapore or Hong Kong (we are not quite sure why). But perhaps that's a blogpost for another time.
In the meantime: here are a couple of lists we hope will be useful: one of the ‘FULL’ IB schools in Malaysia - and the other is a list of schools just offering partial elements of the IB programme.
‘Full’ IB Schools in Malaysia
M’KIS International School
Kuala Lumpur, Tier 1
M’KIS was founded in 1994. They offered an American curriculum for a long time; relatively recently, they shifted to a full IB Programme. As they explain it:
“We are still a North American Curriculum school and have both the IB Diploma and US High School Diploma options. IB is our framework for curriculum delivery: we still maintain our North American Curriculum, but just deliver it through the IB framework. We've been an IB Diploma School since 2000 and began the PYP and MYP implementation process a couple of years ago".
Both their PYP and MYP programmes should be fully authorised by the IBO in early 2020.”
IGB International School
Kuala Lumpur, Tier 2
This full IB school offers the PYP, MYP and IB Diploma programmes and the option of the ‘IB CP” (the IB Career Programme) - the only international school in Malaysia doing so! At IGB, this takes the form of personalised programmes that integrate 3 IB Diploma subjects plus exciting, practical design-related work offered through higher-education institutions!
IGB also are the only IB school on this list to take children as young as 2 in their Fireflies programme (usually international schools only accept children from 3).
Fairview International School
Kuala Lumpur (Subang Jaya & City Centre), Johor Bahru, Ipoh, Penang; Tier 3
Fairview is extremely popular with several campuses in Malaysia, all offering PYP, MYP and the IB Diploma. Their teachers can undertake IB-certified teacher training on site.
EtonHouse
Kuala Lumpur, Tier 3
EtonHouse offers the PYP curriculum. Do note that that they are only a Primary school, with places for Year 1 - Year 6 students only.
UCSI International School
Springhill, Port Dickson; Tier 3
There are a couple of branches of UCSI - the other is in KL (Subang Jaya), and they don’t offer any IB programmes at all. But this campus down at Port Dickson offer all 3: PYP, MYP and the IB Diploma.
And, sneaking onto this list…
Nexus International School
Kuala Lumpur, Tier 2
Okay okay - so Nexus isn’t strictly a full IB school as they offer the IPC curriculum and a MSP (rather than the PYP and MYP respectively) but their offering is very similar in style, structure and approach. In addition, their IB Diploma programme is very well established and successful, and their school’s learning philosophy is what I would describe as “very IB”. I often recommend Nexus to parents looking for a good quality IB school in KL.
Schools that offer just the IB Diploma or PYP
ISKL
Kuala Lumpur, Tier 1
ISKL’s curriculum in their Primary and Middle Schools, while American-based, draws on best practice from other country’s curricula - including Australia and the UK - to create a really international curriculum. They only offer IB Diploma in Years 12/13. They do NOT offer the PYP or MYP.
Marlborough College
Johor Bahru, Tier 1
Located in Johor Bahru (near Singapore), Marlborough College offer a British curriculum (including IGCSEs) followed by the IB Diploma in Years 12-13. They do NOT offer the PYP or MYP.
St Joseph’s Institution International School
Kuala Lumpur, Tier 2
St Joseph’s offer just the IB Diploma programme, with a British curriculum and IGCSEs before that. They do NOT offer the PYP or MYP.
Uplands School
Penang, Tier 2
Uplands offer just the IB Diploma programme, with a British curriculum and IGCSEs before that (no PYP or MYP). From August 2019, they will also be offering a High School Diploma as an alternative to the IB Diploma.
Cempaka International School
Kuala Lumpur, Tier 3
Cempaka offers a British curriculum (including IGCSEs) followed by the IB Diploma in Years 12-13. They do NOT offer the PYP or MYP.
Sri KDU International School
Kuala Lumpur, Tier 3
Sri KDU International offers a British curriculum (including IGCSEs) followed by the IB Diploma in Years 12-13. They do NOT offer the PYP or MYP.
Sunway International School
Kuala Lumpur & Iskandar (Johor) Tier 3
Sunway in KL offers a Canadian curriculum from Grade 6 (Year 7) upwards. In the final two years, students can choose to do the IB Diploma or the Ontario High School Diploma; more commonly, they elect to take A Levels at neighbouring Sunway College. Do note that SIS in KL doesn’t currently have a Primary school, and do NOT offer the PYP or MYP (SIS in Iskandar does have a Primary school, but follows the Canadian curriculum).
Have I missed something? Made a mistake? If so, please let me know!
hello@topschools.asia