With more and more international schools cropping up since the Ministry of Education relaxed restrictions on Malaysian student enrollment in 2012 and the issuing of 27 new licenses for new international schools in 2014, saturation in the international education market has started to set in. Across the industry, we see schools observing dips in enquiries as capacity surges.
Parents of prospective students are now faced with a lot more varied choices when it comes to selecting a school that meets their specific requirements in terms of cost, curriculum, location and other factors. However, as the number of international schools increases, it is fast becoming harder for parents to determine which schools truly offer quality education for their child.
Indeed, the question arises: with so many international schools, how can parents differentiate a great school from a mediocre one?
To answer this question, we turned to BK Gan, President of Taylor’s Schools, who has the experience of leading and building six schools under the Taylor’s banner.
Under Mr Gan’s leadership for the past decade, Taylor’s Schools have experienced remarkable growth and profound transformation. This phenomenal development is not due to chance, but has been accomplished through vision, leadership and passion.
Taylor’s Schools’ portfolio of international schools now encompasses six institutions: Garden International School, Australian International School Malaysia, Nexus International Putrajaya, Nexus International Singapore, Taylor’s International School Puchong and Taylor’s International School Kuala Lumpur.
“All of our international schools possess the Taylor’s Schools’ trademark of delivering educational excellence, and all aim to be the ‘school of choice’ in their respective segment with each having its own unique ethos,” said Mr Gan.
Here Mr Gan highlights some of the key elements that help define Taylor’s Schools as Malaysia’s premier education group.
CREATING EXCEPTIONAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
Australian International School Malaysia
One of the hallmarks of Taylor’s Schools is their focus on creating a world-class learning environment. The Taylor’s Schools’ concept of a “learning environment” refers not only to the physical facilities, but also encapsulates the students’ and teachers’ abilities to utilize these facilities and truly become learners themselves.
“All of our schools create learning environments that inspire both teachers and students to embrace and practice continuous learning. When a learning environment is created we automatically think of the children first, but unless the teachers firstly have this passion of learning, they will not be able to impart this passion to the students. This passion cannot be taught, but needs to be caught,” Mr Gan explained. He added that at Taylor’s Schools, every effort is made to ensure that teachers have opportunity to drive their own self-improvement and development.
Mr Gan advises parents who are looking for an international school to make sure that their school of choice provides an authentic learning environment, where learning is observable in everything that both students and teachers do.
OFFERING FANTASTIC FACILITIES
Nexus International School
Mr Gan also urges parents who are choosing an international school for their child to take a close look at the physical environment to ensure that the school offers an abundance of what he calls “learning spaces”. Simply put, “learning spaces” are areas – within and outside the classroom – where authentic learning can take place.
All of Taylor’s Schools boast state-of-the-art facilities, filled with learning spaces that enable students to collaborate, explore, express their creativity and develop high-order thinking skills.
Taylor’s Schools have all undergone extensive renovation, continuously upgrading and expanding their facilities. The campuses of Garden International School, Taylor’s International School Kuala Lumpur and Australian International School Malaysia have all undergone a major “makeover”, transforming the old buildings into progressive learning centers. They have also been dramatically refreshed to provide a new sense of energy while creating exciting learning spaces.
ENSURING TEACHING EXCELLENCE
Garden International School
Another distinguishing feature of Taylor’s Schools is the exceptional quality of the teaching staff. To ensure that they are able to consistently deliver educational excellence in the classroom, teachers at Taylor’s Schools must continuously strive to improve themselves, hone their skills and keep abreast of the latest pedagogical practices.
Indeed, the ongoing professional development of teachers is a cornerstone of Taylor’s Schools, and each school comprises a professional learning community where staff are encouraged to acquire skills and abilities that ultimately provide the students in their care with a stimulating learning environment.
“By encouraging our teachers to constantly advance their skills; we are in turn enabling our students to achieve their full potential,” Mr Gan commented, “Teachers at Taylor’s Schools are provided with ample online resources to assess their current abilities and understand areas for improvement. However, the biggest challenge all teachers face is the lack of time. For this to work, we are now looking at allocating several hours a week where all teachers participate in self-development sessions. This is currently being implemented in phases across all Taylor’s Schools.”
Recruiting and retaining high quality teachers, however, is not an easy task. Globally, the international school industry is already facing a shortage of teachers, and as the number of schools continues to rise, so will the demand for competent and trained educators.
Being part of Taylor’s Education Group has its advantages. “Taylor’s University’s School of Education now offers the Bachelor of Education,” he explained, “With the curriculum encompassing international school teaching methodologies, as well as internship at Taylor’s Schools, these trainee teachers gain valuable practical experience in their roles. When they graduate, they are able to meet the high standards of teaching at Taylor’s Schools.”
Taylor's International School
Mr Gan advises all parents considering international schools not just to visit the classrooms, but also to observe how teachers operate in the classroom and get a feel for the spirit and culture of the learning taking place in the classroom.
When visiting any one of the Taylor’s Schools, parents will find an engaging learning environment with first-class facilities and a team of highly-trained and passionate educators.
Indeed, among the swelling pool of international schools in Malaysia, Taylor’s Schools are distinguished by their dedication to delivering educational excellence and their shared vision to “educate the youth of the world to take their productive place as leaders in the global community” by making their schools a holistic learning environment.
For more information, visit school.taylors.edu.my
