Homeschooling in Malaysia

I dont have kids but think everyone in the world should homeschool, legal or not. In the US anyway, schools are not places of neutral education but indoctrination machine factories designed to give students the most warped sense of the world as it is possible to conjure. From kindergarten until job-age, kids are not given what is truth or facts but someones personal opinions and agendas and finally at college graduation they become jobless, having studied weird things for which there is no job market at all and they cannot cope with what they discover the real world to be.

Im older but it was the same when I was a kid and it took decades of work to undo the damage. I dont blame my parents, they were just normal robots following what robots are instructed to do. And they had four kids of different ages, making the very idea of home schooling almost impossible to implement. And, they believed in the american system which they felt sure wouldnt let them down. It did, nevertheless.

I would hate to be a parent today faced which a choice like this but would force the issue and find the way to implement homeschooling with carefully chosen tutors and other helpers as needed and screw the law. Just dont register the kid in school in the first place and carry on.

Having said that, there are schools in the world with realistic disciplines and alternatives to public and otherwise normal appearing schools and they have to be sought out. I think the worst thing of all for a parent to do is to simply dump the kid in some public somewhere and forget about the whole issue. This is whats contributing to the very problem, parents who wont stand up and demand neutral education or pull the kids out and figure out a better way.

Speaking from experience not as a person who had kids sent to homeschooling (I'm too young for that) but as a kid who was homeschooled in Malaysia. Firstly, there's two types: "Homeschooled" and Homeschooled. Let's begin with "Homeschooled".

"Homeschooled" - Your kid actually goes to a center but is considered homeschooled. This isn't like your regular schools. There's generally a uniform but unlike the private/public schools. The syllabus can vary but most would teach Cambridge IGCSE which is offered in some of the private and international schools as well. Experiences with every center can vary, expect to take some time to find a good one. You must also play a larger part in disciplining your child and ensuring he/she learns as laziness will guarantee your child will be left behind far greater than he/she would in regular schools if he/she don't keep up. Oh and, these centers aren't cheap either if finance is a concern.

Actual Homeschooled. - Yes you can fully homeschool your kid. I'd recommend educating him/her on IGCSE syllabus (I'll explain later). This is legal, there are many who do it. If you can do it, that'll be great. No traffic jams sending your kid to school (or taking public transport which isn't all that great in Malaysia but it's improving). No tuition fees to pay, compared to the more expensive "homeschooled" centers. You get to monitor your child's progress 100% or close to that. But it will be fully up to you and your child. You might also want to send him/her to extra curriculums just so he/she can socialize and not be shocked when college comes. Speaking of college, to get in, only certain certifications are allowed. SAT stopped becoming widely accepted a while ago. But, IGCSE is very widely accepted.

This is where it gets important. Despite not going to an actual school or even a center. Your child can still register to take IGCSE Exams with some of the schools around Malaysia. I took mine in Sri Emas International School. These are officially recognized examinations by Cambridge UK for IGCSE. Your child will receive legit and official certificates for passing this exam and thus can enter into the universities around Malaysia.

Any further questions, just shoot. All the best.

Agree with both the above posts. We are in the process of contemplating homeschooling, Cambridge too, but no longer in Malaysia, now Indonesia. Many people think kids miss out on the social aspects of playing with other kids when they homeschool, but that is mostly because they do not understand about the centers that kids can attend, often every weekend.

International schools are often charging silly money in Malaysia too.

Hi,

Please could someone help me as i have been searching on websites but got nowhere.

I am Malaysian married to British husband and have 3 British kids (5, 8 and 11). We are planning to move to Malaysia by end of the year.

I was informed that my 8 year old and 11 year old will
need to apply for a student pass. Will they be able to be homeschooled in Malaysia and apply the pass?

Thank you.

Sarah.

Hi,
Yes they will need a student pass.
They can study in public schools or international schools but homeschooling them won’t allow you to get a student pass.
My Son was attending a school with IGCSE curriculum and comes under home school as it’s not got approval from Ministry of education and so now we have to put him in a public school.