International School of Kuala Lumpur


The International School of Kuala Lumpur is an American non-profit school in the Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area, Malaysia. It is accredited by the United States-based Western Association of Schools and Colleges and internationally through the Council of International Schools. It has three divisions: elementary school, middle school and high school. The high school and middle school occupy the same property in Ampang, while the elementary school is hosted at a separate campus at Melawati.

New campus

The new campus, which opened in August 2018, is set on approximately 25.7 acres of land in Ampang Hilir. It is designed to create the most advanced learning environment featuring academic, arts, and athletic resources. This includes world-class science labs and classrooms with flexible teaching spaces, two libraries, gymnasiums, competition swimming facilities, regulation track and playing fields as well as a performing arts center.
ISKL’s ‘green’ facility will be the first Malaysian school designed to achieve platinum Green Building Index status with environmentally sustainable concepts.

History

Established in 1965, the ISKL was the first school with an American curriculum in Malaysia. It was also the first fully accredited international school in Malaysia. The curriculum is US-based, and offers students the chance to earn a High School Diploma, an International Baccalaureate diploma, and to attend Advanced Placement programs. The majority of students are from expatriate families seeking a western school system for their children while living abroad. At the same time, there are many Malaysians seeking an American-based education who also attend the school. While the school focuses on a western education system, it also maintains and encourages cultural relations with its host country, giving students the opportunity to participate in a variety of cultural activities. The school also employs the national and compulsory law of enforcing school uniforms.
As of 2012, there are approximately 1600 students from more than 65 countries, with the most common nationalities being Americans, Koreans, Malaysians, Chinese, and Indians. Other well-represented nationalities included are British, French, Canadians, Dutch, Norwegian, Japanese, Australian, Indonesian, Argentine, Colombian, and Pakistani. A majority of students have parents working for oil companies or embassies, as ISKL has very strong ties with the embassies in Kuala Lumpur, especially the United States embassy.
ISKL's teaching faculty comprises individuals from the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, China, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, France, Germany, Chile, and Malaysia. Over 75% of them hold degrees at the master's or doctorate level.

Media coverage

As a large and well known international school in Malaysia, ISKL is often in the news.
, ex-ISKL Treasurer and board member
In terms of private school fees in Malaysia, ISKL is often interviewed or referenced, in part because it one of the country's most expensive schools.
In terms of the school's charity work, an example is its outreach to poorer children in Klang Valley.

Governance and leadership

The school is parent owned and parent governed. Every year a Board of Directors is elected by all parents. Parents serve on the board for two years. The current board comprises Board Chair Kelly O'Hale, Vice-Chair Leesa Hannah, Treasurer David Thomas, Secretary Radhika Savant Mohit, John Beattie, François Bogacz, Andrew Davis, Amber Dossey, Matthew Keene, Keith Kuchner, Toshi Saito, Lin Ting, Dean Thompson and Jay Woo. Past board members have included Martin Rushworth, Valerie Scane, Dominic Silva and Nigel Cumberland.
The Head of School is Dr. Norma J. Hudson. She is supported by an Assistant Head of School, a role currently occupied by Jim Griffin.

Academics

ISKL's flagship high school program is the International Baccalaureate program, a rigorous two-year curriculum for 16- to 19-year-old students, culminating in exams in six subjects. ISKL boasts a 98% pass rate for the IB Diploma, and the program is not geared towards any specific nationality. Additionally, the Advanced Placement program is offered for students who wish to pursue colleges in the United States, although this is slowly being phased out and more students are encouraged to pursue the IB program.

Extracurricular activities and athletics

ISKL is a part of several international and local leagues, promoting competition between both Malaysian and international schools:
Fine arts: The arts occupy a central position at ISKL and each student is strongly encouraged to participate in some form. The school offers a multitude of opportunities for artistic expression throughout the entire school year, designed to challenge all ability levels.
Athletics:
The Ampang campus has athletic facilities which include two fields, an outdoor 25-meter swimming pool, basketball gym, multipurpose outdoor court, fitness center, tennis courts and an outdoor climbing wall. It also has a two-story auditorium, drama studio, dance studio, cafeteria, and library.
The Melawati campus has an indoor theater/auditorium, a library and computer lab. Athletic facilities include an indoor gym, a covered outdoor 25-meter pool, recreational field, outdoor basketball court and two playgrounds.

Uniforms

In accordance with the national law of Malaysia, ISKL institutes a mandatory uniform policy. The uniform consists of a collared shirt with the school logo on the front in different colours for each division of the school. Elementary School has royal blue shirts, Middle School has light blue shirts and High School has navy blue and white shirts. Boys may pair this with shorts and pants in dark blue, while girls may wear shorts, skirts or pants in the same dark blue. When wearing outer layers, students are encouraged to purchase them in dark blue or white as part of the uniform. They also may buy pants or shorts from other companies that are similar to the school wear.