Category Archives: International School

The difference between International Schools and Government Schools in Malaysia

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Education plays a vital role in society and international schools today are genuinely meeting the needs of all parents willing to enrol the child. The multilingual skills that many international students and teachers possess have made possible means of nurturing and developing these skills to the optimum. The task is not easy although there is much enthusiasm for multicultural awareness and intercultural conferences. We need to have a true understanding of the many facets of international education. However, classroom teachers are confronted with the daily reality of students who are unable to speak and write grade level in English. These children need solutions and strategies to overcome these difficulties.

Teachers in international schools are from different diversities as we are hired due to the efforts made by the school to hire a mix of nationalities and ages. Most are native speakers, but not all. Some schools place a very high priority on years of experience, but others are more flexible. I worked as an international school teacher for English Language and other mainstream subjects of the Cambridge Curriculum in Sri Lanka for the past 10 years. The school was originally for daughters of ex-pats and diplomats, but it became a truly international school with students from 10 different countries. Many of them are actually sent there from their country of origin.

I chose to teach in international schools mainly for the diversity and challenges confronted in teaching. The development came gradually as I matured in a position which has enhanced and enriched my experience and capabilities. Most international schools are also learning-focused and have extensive professional training and development for teachers. The high expectations have made me implement this knowledge in the current school I am employed. Of course, the rewards always come way later, after all the hard work’s been done.

Education in Malaysia has been continuously enhanced by the development of strong content knowledge in mainstream subjects and language. However, higher order thinking skills have been in the spotlight of recent times. Due to continuous progression of the education system it is put forth that the performance of a Malaysian student may be at risk. Other educational systems in countries such as Singapore have already found ways to sustain and the international assessments of Malaysian students show figures of the declining performance rate of the student.

It is of paramount importance that student outcomes should be equitable in all states as this affects the achievement levels. A rising gender gap over the past 5 years show that an increasing 70% of the girls population outperform boys at every level. Boys with low attainment levels are a cause for concern for this nation.

International schools, however follow a curriculum model from UK, USA, Canada, Australia and/or New Zealand choosing to run the International Baccalaureate Program. This results in children attending top-notch universities around the world due to high quality of education, placement or IGCSE offerings and scholarship. Through the holistic education system they find out about each others’ cultures and views on the world. By sharing everyday parts of their lives; dining, sleeping, and helping each other tackle the challenges of an exciting outdoor education programme, they learn to develop tolerance. What is more, friendships are formed which transcend traditional barriers and differences. Ordinary day to day situations become opportunities to educate the students beyond their own cultural mind set. While government schools are increasing the ethnic homogenization of schools. This reduces the opportunities for interaction between individuals from a wide range of backgrounds. These interactions are important as they develop a shared set of experiences and aspirations for the future, through which a common national identity and unity are forged.

The range of languages learnt in school makes each student bilingual or multilingual which finally opens doors for an international outlook. This adds a reality to the life of students as they are continuously in this environment. One of the biggest advantages international students have is when different cultures, nationalities and languages are brought together in one place. They have a chance to recognise that what makes them human is not their cultural identity, language or religion but something spiritual that transcends all these things. It gives students the chance to rub shoulders with another human being at a more essential level. For example, in the challenges of outdoor education, young people from varied backgrounds discover that they experience the same human feelings of fear apprehension and achievement. An international education is as much about the quality of the relationships that can be formed between human beings as it is about a particular curriculum or set of qualifications. These relationships become the soil in which other things can grow. To be effective and fruitful, the curriculum needs this kind of soil, but just as important as the curriculum is the methodology and the values used to deliver it.

This article was written by Fathima Rezlana Mushadiq. Fathima works as an English teacher in an international school. She is a guest writer for this blog.

The Malaysian Education Scenario: Do we really need English-medium schools?

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There seems to be an issue in national schools where English is taught as a second language. These schools are slowly losing its appeal and parents are moving their children into international schools where English is the language of instruction or as some will call it, English-medium schools. So the issue is this; how can we make the national schools more appealing and provide a platform for integration of the different ethnic groups within a nation? Before we embark on pointing our fingers and the blame game let us look at the reasons why these schools lack appeal and parents are moving their kids out.

1. National schools have the majority of students from one particular race.
What is the implication of this? To have one race dominating a national school would mean that the culture of that school would slowly move away from a national culture to a race based culture. The way things are done, the attitude towards education, the discipline and the vision of the students for their future would be culturally influenced. The minority group in such a situation might not be satisfied. National schools have to maintain a national culture regardless of the student ethnic population. Race and religion should be kept to the sidelines. Unfortunately, this is not an easy task. While on paper it may seem an easy objective, in reality people tend to move towards their comfort zones and do things the way they are familiar with. School heads have to be firm and adhere to the national education objectives to ensure that a national identity is created where every individual of that school community is ensured a place and space for themselves.

2. National schools have the majority of teachers/educators from one particular race.
The implication. The teaching and learning scenario in the classroom will be influenced by the race-based factors of these educators. In the process of teaching and learning, educators will inevitably pass on to their students their point of view on many issues and hence, influence their charges tremendously. Let us not forget, teachers are human and their background and stand on various topics will be passed on to their charges. Although teachers are supposed to be impartial, fair and strictly adhere to their syllabus, in reality, the personal touch is what sets teachers apart, both good and bad. There must be an ethnically diverse group of educators to ensure a rich input of knowledge. Students need this and will be more comfortable learning in such an environment.

3. The quality of teachers in national schools.
When placed against the teachers from international schools, the general perception is that the teachers from national schools fall short. Why is this so? Well, there are many aspects in which the national schoolteachers fall short. The job is not rewarding enough to attract the best brains in the country. The salary scheme and the scope of the job make it unattractive and the cream of the crop never want to become teachers. In fact, no parent today wants his or her child to become a teacher. This is the state of the perception of the public of teaching as a profession!

4. The examinations and evaluation conducted.
The mode of evaluation and examination of national schools should be laid next to that of international schools and compared. What is it about international schools that make it attractive? Why are parents moving their kids out of national schools? What do parents want? Parents want their children to be educated. Children should not be bored in school. Every child should be taught to achieve the highest of his/her potential. This is very important. This is what parents want. Sometimes in the process of seeing that no child gets left behind and every child is able to master basic education, it is the students with high potential who end up paying the price. Nobody wants to acknowledge this, because it sounds so selfish. Students with high potential are bored. Not enough learning and challenging tasks are given. Ask any 13 or 14 year old and you will see that I am right. These children are not happy. In an international school, students are constantly challenged to reach greater heights. They are encouraged to speak their mind and gain confidence. They are prepared from a young age to be fearless and confident in this borderless world. They know how and where to look for knowledge and present it confidently. Are the national schools doing this? If the national schools can address this issue, urban parents will never move their children to international schools. It all comes down to whether the learning potential of the student has been met.

Having English-medium schools might help but in reality what parents want is simply the need for their children to be highly educated, treated fairly and be happy. If we want the flow of students into national schools to improve, the above have to be addressed. The result would be highly integrated, high performing schools.

This article was written by Madam Kalai Lingam. Madam Kalai has 27 years of teaching experience in government secondary school. She opted for early retirement in 2013 to pursue her love of writing, and is currently writing a book. Madam Kalai is well versed in the Malaysian Education system, having been a senior English teacher and school administrator for many years.