Good morning from sunny Scotland! The first dry and sunny day in weeks! Just LOVE the Scottish summer!
We are considering a move back to Malaysia after nearly 20 years away ... The past 16 spent in Scotland. Our children are aged 11 and 7.
We are currently looking into schools. We were warned to stay clear of Tier 1 schools due to the high fees and the fact that the expat children stay for a year or two and then move on. We were told this would be unsettling for our kids as they would form good friendships and then these kids move on. I was told that the local children attending these school would be ****!!! I am sure this isn't entirely true!
Our friends recommended a few Tier 2 schools. The schools all looked very impressive on the websites. We managed to visit a few on our recent holiday but unfortunately a few of those I wanted to look at were already closed for the summer. We were very impressed with the facilities in the schools but on further questioning, I have come to a conclusion that tier 2 schools are only international by name and the method of teaching is still very Malaysian with a high ratio of local teachers. These schools seem to cater to Malaysian children. I am not sure if these schools would suit my kids .... Everyone tell me that kids will adapt and if I survived the Malaysian education system, so will they. However, i really didn't enjoy school in the Malaysian system and certainly wouldn't want my children to go thought that. Over in Scotland, they have a lovely local primary school which they love. They learn through play and exploring and are given so many opportunities in sport, arts, drama etc.
it is not only the education side of things but I also worry how they will fit in and if Tier 2 schools are experienced at helping expat kids adjust. Although we visit Malaysia annually, our kids are really Scottish. It is the only home they have ever known.
Please share your experiences .... Which schools are your children in? What's your experience? Any expats with kids in tier 2 schools and how have they coped? Returning Malaysians, how have you found the education system compared to where you moved from.
Thanks for reading.
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