International schools across the Causeway have reportedly seen a rise in Singaporean enrollments in recent years, driven by several factors.

The number of international schools in the state of Johor, for starters, has increased from 23 to 29 since 2022, according to a check by AsiaOne on Malaysia's education ministry website.

This number, as well as the number of students from Singapore and other countries in these schools, is expected to increase further after Johor's Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and Special Financial Zone (SFZ) with Singapore is set up, reported The Star.

Stellar International School in Johor has seen a steady year-on-year increase of Singaporean enrollments, Founder and CEO Daniel Loh told The Star.

The ratio of local to international enrollments amongst the 614 students in the school is 3:2. Most international students are Koreans, followed by Chinese nationals, Japanese, then Singaporeans, said Loh.

"I believe the main reasons why Singaporeans choose to send their children to study across the border was because they wanted to get out of the Singaporean education system, which tends to be quite stressful and academically-driven," he told The Star. 

"Other factors, such as the quality of life in Johor Bahru and exposure to international culture, also help parents make their decision". 

Singaporean father of two Alecz Chan is one parent who chose to enroll his children in international schools in Johor.

The 43-year-old owns a real estate business which mainly operates in Johor and Kuala Lumpur and moved to Malaysia two years ago, reported The Star.

He said that his parents took care of his 15-year-old son and 17-year-old daughter in Singapore when he was setting up operations in Malaysia.

"After things stabilised, I decided to enroll my son in an international school [in Johor]," he said.

Chan's daughter will also be pursuing tertiary education in Malaysia, reported The Star.

The single father admitted that his relatives initially criticised his decision to relocate his children to Johor as they felt he was being wasteful by spending "thousands of ringgit" when he could enjoy minimal fees in Singapore.

"They have certain perceptions but I assured them that I am familiar with Malaysia, having done business here for many years," he said.

"For me, skills, experience and character building are more important to equip children for the real world and I believe my son [will] benefit from studying in Johor."

"I think [the school fees] are a small price to pay to have my children by my side where I can watch them grow," Chan added.

AsiaOne has contacted Chan for more information.

Malaysia: Cheapest in Asia for international school fees

According to research conducted by the International Schools Database (ISD) this year, Malaysia is the cheapest country in Asia for international school fees.

The median fee for international schools in the cheapest city, Ipoh, is $3,438 per year, while that of the most expensive city, Johor, is $8,174 per year, reported the New Straits Times in June this year. 

Loh also highlighted that many countries do not allow local students to attend international schools.

In Singapore, the Compulsory Education Act requires all Singapore Citizens born after Jan 1, 1996, aged between six and 15 years old, and living in the country to attend a national primary school unless an exemption is granted.

Less than 0.5 per cent of Singaporean students were enrolled in international schools here as of 2021, according to the Ministry of Education's (MOE) response to a parliamentary question that year. 

MOE said that it receives about 50 to 60 appeals each year for Singaporean children to enroll in international schools, citing reasons such as a preference for an international curriculum as the student spent many years abroad, special educational needs and medical conditions.

"International schools are primarily meant to cater to the children of the expatriate community in Singapore. It is important that our Singaporean children attend our national schools to help develop common values and a sense of national identity and bonding through shared school experiences." added the ministry.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com

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