PETALING JAYA: Lack of confidence in the government school system is one of the reasons parents are sending their children to international schools.

Lawyer Ashok Kandiah told FMT he willingly spent 20% of his monthly income on sending his three children to international schools because he was concerned about the quality of government schools.

“I am concerned that the syllabus is not up to par and whether my kids will be well-equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills they will need when they grow up.”

He said the teaching of English was also a factor. “There is a lack of emphasis on English in the government schools.”

The New Straits Times recently reported that Malaysia had a high number of students enrolled in premium English-medium international schools.

The latest statistics from ISC Research show that 71,589 students were enrolled in various international schools in Malaysia in the year’s first quarter.

Gowmathy Naidu, who is an editor, said she sent her son, now 13 years old, to an international school because his kindergarten teacher had discouraged him from asking questions in class.

“We sent him to a local kindergarten and he was always a very inquisitive child,” she said. “When he was five, he came back and told me that the teacher had told him not to ask so many questions. That spurred me to find a place where he could ask questions without being told to keep quiet.”

She said her son had learnt in the international school to be confident, caring and a person of high integrity.

“The school has a learning system that combines academic rigour with a strong focus on personal development.

“My son is exposed to a broad range of co-curricular subjects such as sports, music, the arts, languages and technology.

“The children find out how things work through experiments, projects, and presentations.

“Music is used as a key development tool. It is compulsory to learn at least one instrument. My son has learnt two.”

She said the international school her son attended was what she was looking for to nurture his inquisitive nature.

“He has developed into a teenager who loves outdoor sports and who is musically inclined because of the school. He is not afraid to interact with the teachers on a personal basis and as a student.”

Hisham Noordin, who works as a lecturer, sends three of his five children to an international school at the cost of half his income.

“Government education is not what it used to be,” he said. “I was worried that my children would end up backward. I know, for example, that racism and polarisation in government schools is a huge issue.”

Like Ashok, Hisham feels that English is not well taught in government schools.

“Back when my children were still attending government school, they spoke better English than their English teachers,” he said. “I know the children are going to need English if they intend to do well and I don’t think government schools can help in that department.”

He also finds the teachers in international schools better at dealing with the students than those in government schools.

“The teachers know how to treat the students well and to develop a strong bond not only with the children but with their parents too, unlike in government schools.”