Living
Nurseries & Pre-Schools
Malaysian children start primary school at 6, but for children under this age there are a wide variety of privately run nursery schools, kindergartens and preschools offering early years education. These are often referred to as taskas or tadikas, or both. A taska is for children up to 4 years old, and will generally offer a play-based learning experience. Tadikas are for children aged 3 to 7, and essentially act as formal preparation for starting primary school, teaching basic literacy and maths in a structured way. Many are popular with expats and people tend to choose a school in their residential area. Programmes based on the Montessori philosophy are very popular, although they are often structured more formally than they would be in Europe or the US. Bilingual (English/Bahasa Malaysia or English/Mandarin) programmes are also popular, and Reggio Emilia is available too. Preschool or early-years programmes at international schools follow the national curriculum or educational philosophy of the institution’s home country.
Schools at this level do not have to be licensed or inspected, and staff at local schools may not have formal qualifications in childcare or education. Staff at international schools will usually have the same qualifications as they would in schools in their home country, and will usually be expats.
Visit any school you are interested in and observe for yourself how the staff interact with the children, what approach they use and what kind of activities are offered to the children. Ask around for recommendations, or get a list of schools in your area from ibu (www.ibufamily.org), an organisation that offers help and support to families in KL. As well as providing information it has playgroups every weekday, which you can attend with your child. These are a good alternative if you find the local nurseries too structured, as it allows your child to interact with others and develop social skills in an informal environment.
Many schools are located in converted residential buildings and children will have access to a garden for outside play. School fees for local preschools are very reasonable, from about RM750 per term, and the staff to child ratio is good.
Schools at this level do not have to be licensed or inspected, and staff at local schools may not have formal qualifications in childcare or education. Staff at international schools will usually have the same qualifications as they would in schools in their home country, and will usually be expats.
Visit any school you are interested in and observe for yourself how the staff interact with the children, what approach they use and what kind of activities are offered to the children. Ask around for recommendations, or get a list of schools in your area from ibu (www.ibufamily.org), an organisation that offers help and support to families in KL. As well as providing information it has playgroups every weekday, which you can attend with your child. These are a good alternative if you find the local nurseries too structured, as it allows your child to interact with others and develop social skills in an informal environment.
Many schools are located in converted residential buildings and children will have access to a garden for outside play. School fees for local preschools are very reasonable, from about RM750 per term, and the staff to child ratio is good.
