LITTLE BRITAIN IN ISKANDAR, MALAYSIA
A British boarding system with an Eastern academic slant makes Marlborough College Malaysia the ideal school for future generations.
Selecting the ideal school for your child can be a daunting task. As the stepping stone to the future, an education helps shape the young personalities under its care. In Asia, there are few that offer a nurturing environment and impressive results under one roof.
Across the Causeway sits one such institution, known as Marlborough College Malaysia. While some may call it quintessentially British, as the overseas branch of a school with an illustrious 175year history, it boasts an innovative spin on the British school system that few others have cared to explore.
Marlborough College was founded in Wiltshire, England, in 1843. Today, the school has grown by leaps and bounds, boasting an international reach with a campus in one of Asia’s most multi- cultural cities.
Located in Iskandar, Johor Bahru, the international boarding and day school brings the best of British education to the heart of Malaysia – helping to ease students into the unfamiliar boarding school system. The school is the ideal solution for those considering a move to the UK in the years to come.
According to Alan Stevens, the Master of Marlborough College Malaysia, the school’s success lies in its unique blend of the East and West. By instilling an Asian work ethic in the celebrated British
education system, the school offers students the best of both worlds and a holistic path to success.
Stevens says that the Eastern in uences have helped create an atmosphere unlike what he has seen in the UK. “There is an ‘ Eastern’ expectation of working hard to achieve success, rather than relying on natural aptitude to do well in subjects pupils enjoy and giving up on those they nd less easy, which was all too common in my Western experience.”
While parents typically seek academic excellence when it comes to their children’s education, Marlborough College Malaysia looks beyond the four walls of a classroom. Stevens shares: “The Western independent boarding culture brings a requirement for ‘ balance’ – a rmly held belief that time spent outside the classroom should be as enriching as time spent in it.”
A strong emphasis is placed on both its curriculum and co- curricular activities. This helps set Marlborough College Malaysia apart from other international schools. While most Asian institutions base their achievements on academic results, Marlborough seeks to pair good grades with an undervalued element that is often overlooked in Asia.
Its goal is to empower students with skills that will result in a more wellrounded outlook on life. By instilling a strong ethos of service and inculcating humility alongside achievement, students from Marlborough College Malaysia can develop a work ethic that is attractive to employers in the long run.
Stevens explains that by drawing students out of the classroom, the school provides them with opportunities to discuss their experiences in interviews. From charitable projects to sporting activities out on their 36ha eld and bonding activities with fellow classmates, the school culture equips all its students for life in the real world.
With its strong legacy, Marlborough College Malaysia has been helping to prepare students for cultural changes that might come their way. The boarding school also prepares students for life away from home, instilling a sense of independence in the lives of these young minds.