Sunway International School, Sunway City, Kuala Lumpur

Since its establishment in Malaysia in 2008, Sunway International Schools, Sunway City Kuala Lumpur (SISKL) have been consistently providing the all-rounded education ecosystem needed for children to thrive in the 21st century. Veering well away from the passive learning model still practiced in many other schools in Malaysia, the educators of SISKL are known to proactively guide their students in highly engaging ways, for a more gratifying schooling journey en-route their future success. Kiddy123 grabbed the rare opportunity to have a chat with the Principal of SISKL, Mr Heath Kondro, and here’s what we’ve uncovered.

For parents looking to enroll their child into an international school, the sheer number of these institutions that have sprouted up nationwide may leave some parents feeling overwhelmed at the task of choosing one for their child. Setting itself apart from the rest in many ways is Sunway International School’s Kuala Lumpur campus in USJ 1. “It is just a couple of kilometers away from our older grounds, and we are justifiably proud of all that our new seven-acre campus has to offer in terms of facilities for the best learning experiences” Mr Kondro shared with Kiddy123 recently. The new campus however, is still located in Sunway City KL, which is Green Building Index (GBI) certified as Malaysia’s first fully integrated sustainable city.

Education with a difference

As the world evolves and demands for better education rises, families are becoming more and more picky about what is being offered at schools. They’d naturally want to select the curriculum which they deem is for their child’s best interest. Exceeding most curricula expectations, SISKL, adopts the Canadian curriculum, which has been consistently emerging among the top five in the Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA and is undertaking the globally recognised Cambridge International Programme (IGCSE). Students have the option of undertaking either the Canadian (Ontario) Secondary School Programme, Cambridge International Programme (IGCSE), or even the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). Sunway International Schools are the only schools in Malaysia to offer the Canadian (Ontario) Secondary School Programme, while the Cambridge International Programme (IGCSE) and IBDP are high quality international educational programmes available in more than 145 countries worldwide. Regardless of their choice, upon graduation from SISKL, students may be well on their way for enrolment into any top universities around the world, armed with much lauded certifications.

Its teachers: the highest selling point

A school is only as great as its teachers, and SISKL is proof of this. “We owe our success to our teachers, who are all appropriately certified, internationally diversified, and have an innate passion for teaching and guiding,” Mr Kondro shared. “As SISKL is an Ontario MOE licensed school, many of our teachers are certificate holders of the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT). Each one of them is an expert in the subjects they teach, respectively. Furthermore, our pool of teachers is from different cultural backgrounds and academic perspectives, which in more ways than one, greatly benefit our students,” he continued.

Nurturing future trailblazers

Unlike the customary school teaching practices of copying from a whiteboard, or memorising facts, or trying to complete homeworks which are not fully comprehended, the education style at SISKL is an engaging one, which is kept interesting and fun for its students. Teachers make the effort to pay adequate attention to all students, lending an air of inclusiveness where no child is left out in attaining a fine education.

There is an ultimate balance too, between academic and co-curricular activities offered at SISKL which help produce students who are on their way to becoming responsible, amiable global citizens. Sports, for instance, is deemed an important part of the school’s co-curricular activities as it is essential for the ideal growth and development of the students. Hence, SISKL provides a football field in the size of a standard FIFA field, half an Olympic size swimming pool, and a multipurpose hall that acts as a hall for school events and activities but can also be transformed into a badminton, volleyball, basketball court and more. Apart from that, various clubs and society, as well as Career Week and a Community Outreach programme, field trips and various after-school programmes are also embedded into the school curriculum, providing a richer and complete education in preparation for a productive adult life.