The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL or “the School”) is a private, not-for-profit, parent-owned and parent-governed, coeducational day school offering an educational program from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 for students from over 60 nationalities. The school year for elementary and high school has two semesters that extend from early August to mid-December and from mid-January to early June. The school year for middle school has three semesters that run from early August to mid-November, from mid-November to early March and from early March to early June.
Organization: The School is governed by a 14-member Board of Directors, 13 members of which are elected for three-year terms by members of ISKL’s sponsor, The Society for The International School of Kuala Lumpur (“The Society”). Membership in The Society is automatically given to parents or guardians of children enrolled. The U.S. Embassy appoints one of the board members. The School is officially registered as a nonprofit educational institution under Malaysia’s Education Act 1996.
Curriculum: U.S. college-preparatory and international curricula are offered, including Advanced Placement courses and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. All instruction is in English. French, Spanish, Bahasa Malaysia, Korean, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese are taught as world languages in high school. French, Spanish, Mandarin, and Bahasa Malaysia are offered in middle school. Spanish, Mandarin, and Bahasa Malaysia are presently offered in the elementary school. Graduates attend colleges and universities in North America, Europe, and a variety of home countries. Extracurricular activities include drama, dance, choral/instrumental/strings music, computers, publications, photography, debate, Model U.N., clubs, and intramural activities, as well as an extensive program of interscholastic athletic competitions with local and regional schools. In addition, membership in the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) provides athletic and performance opportunities throughout Southeast Asia. The school is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Council of International Schools (CIS) and has an IB authorized diploma program.
Faculty: In the 2022-2023 school year, ISKL has 342 total staff, 173 full-time teachers, 79 of whom are U.S. citizens, 14 host-country nationals, and 80 third-country nationals from 27 countries. Our faculty possess doctorates, master’s degrees and teaching certificates.
Enrollment: At the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, enrollment was 1,521. Of the total, 280 were U.S. citizens, 227 were host-country nationals, and 1,062 were third-country nationals.
Facilities: The school operates a 95,000 M2 campus set on an 11-hectare site that houses the elementary, middle, and high schools. The campus has central air conditioning including advanced air filtration and comprises all modern facilities, including carpeted classrooms; special rooms for art, music, and computer science instruction; two libraries; and specialized science laboratories. Sports facilities include an elementary school gymnasium, middle/high school gymnasium and three sports fields (one with a full 400-meter athletics track). The Aquatics Center has three swimming pools including a 50-meter pool. The campus has several dance studios, a fitness center, tennis courts and two theatres, one of which accommodates up to 635 seats. The cafeteria serves breakfast, snacks, and lunch. Water filters are available throughout the campus. The campus landscape is formed together with an Eco Garden, fishponds and more than 100 plant species.
Finances: For the 2022-2023 school year, about 95% of the school’s income is derived from tuition and fees. Annual tuition rates are as follows: PK:RM59,000; K-Grade 5:RM97,000; Grades 6-8:RM109,600 and Grades 9-12:RM120,400. The school also charges an entrance fee of RM59,000 for PK-grade 12 and an annual re-enrollment fee of RM0 (included in annual tuition) for grades 1-12. A nonrefundable family registration fee of RM0 (Included in Registration fees ) is also charged to accord favorable fee treatment to families with more than one child. Fees are payable in Malaysian ringgit. (All fees are quoted in Malaysian ringgit.)
Special Needs: Download the Special Needs Profile (2023 Special Needs-Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur) for this school to learn more about their capability to support students with exceptionalities.
This Fact Sheet is intended to provide general information. Prospective users of the schools may wish to inquire further of A/OPR/OS or contact the school directly for more specific and up-to-the-minute information. Information and statistics are current as of September 2022 and are provided by the school.