International schools were originally established to educate children of foreign diplomats and overseas corporate personnel. However, increasing demand for Western-style learning and English-medium education – either through the International Baccalaureate (IB), or British or American curricula – have popularized these once-elitist institutions as alternatives to Malaysia’s national, vernacular, religious and even private schools.
In Penang, the International School of Penang was one of the oldest to be established in 1955 – at Penang Hill, which was what inspired its colloquial name, Uplands. Many world-class international schools have since emerged in the state, offering an option in youth education.
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