Visitors at the 11th Private and International School Fair held in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.
PARENTS, in seeking a brighter future for their children, are flocking to private and international school fairs.
In Ipoh, the first Private and International School Fair received some 100 families in search of international education options.
Ipoh has transformed into a new hub for international education with several international schools opening their doors in the last few years.
This was followed by the 11th Private and International School Fair in Johor and the 9th Private and International School Fair in Penang that welcomed some 120 families.
With its close proximity to Singapore, coupled with a booming real estate development scene and growing expatriate community, Johor has become a popular hub for international education too.
Penang, being home to some of the country’s earliest established international schools such as The International School of Penang (Uplands), currently has 13 international schools across the island and mainland.
Fair organiser Mint Communications co-founder and director Nickie Yew said, “This is our first fair in Ipoh and it was a success.
“The fair adhered strictly to the standard operating procedures (SOP) and parents connected with our exhibitors in a safe and comfortable environment.”
Yew said the fair in Johor also ran smoothly while the one in Penang attracted a number of local and expatriate families.
“Their presence shows that our event is relevant and an important platform when it comes to looking for international education options, ” Yew added.
At the fair, visitors had the opportunity to speak to a number of international school operators, pre-university providers and learning centres under one roof.
Each state saw representatives from their hometown along with those popular in the Malaysian education scene, such as Nexus International School Malaysia and Kolej Yayasan UEM.
The Ipoh fair saw hometown representatives such as the Perak-based City Harbour International School, Fairview International School Ipoh, Imperial International School, Seri Botani International School, Tenby Schools Ipoh, Wesley Methodist Schools (International) Ipoh and Westlake International School.
Johor had 16 exhibitors at its fair, with Johor-based schools such as Crescendo-HELP International School, Fairview International School, Marlborough College Malaysia, Paragon Private & International School, Raffles American School, Shattuck-St. Mary’s Forest City International School, Sribagan International School, Sunway International School, Sunway Iskandar and Tenby Schools Setia Eco Gardens.
The Penang fair saw representatives from Fairview International School, GEMS International School of Pearl City Penang, Prince of Wales Island International School, Straits International School, Tenby Schools Penang and Wesley Methodist School Penang (International), among others.
Parents were able to survey each school’s unique offerings such as location, curricula, fee structure, facilities and ethos.
Some parents also enquired about pre-university programmes and boarding school options.
Also available at the fair was the annually published Education Destination Malaysia: Guide to International and Private Schools by Mint Communications.
The guidebook features an updated map and directory of all international schools in Malaysia with accompanying detailed profiles and essential information of the schools.
In addition, readers can access useful articles, infographics and comparative charts to help them find a suitable school for their child.
