Charis International School, Tawau

About Charis International School Tawau

Charis International School opened in 2014 as the first MOE-approved international school in Tawau and the third in Sabah. The campus sits in Taman Setia along Jalan Datuk Chong Thien Vun, serving families in southeastern Sabah who previously had no local international schooling option. For over a decade, Charis has provided Cambridge-pathway education to both local and expatriate families in the Tawau area.

The school holds Cambridge International accreditation and operates as a registered Cambridge examination centre. Instruction is in English, with Chinese and Malay also taught. Students range from early years through Year 11 (IGCSE).

Curriculum at Charis International School Tawau

Charis runs the full Cambridge pathway across three stages. Cambridge Primary (Years 1 to 6) covers English, Mathematics, Science, and Global Perspectives as core subjects. Cambridge Lower Secondary (Years 7 to 9) expands the subject range and introduces formal assessment checkpoints. Cambridge IGCSE (Years 10 to 11) is the examination stage, where students sit for internationally recognised qualifications accepted by universities worldwide.

The school also offers early years provision for children aged 4 to 6 before they enter the Cambridge Primary programme. English is the medium of instruction across all levels, with Malay and Chinese taught as additional languages.

Fees at Charis International School Tawau

Annual tuition at Charis ranges from RM 13,800 at primary level to RM 30,450 at IGCSE level. These figures reflect a standard 10% discount applied to published rates. The school fees guide explains common ancillary costs beyond tuition.

Fee Component	Amount
Primary (after 10% discount)	from RM 13,800/yr
IGCSE (after 10% discount)	up to RM 30,450/yr
Boarding - twin room	RM 1,400/month
Boarding - single room	RM 1,600/month

Boarding accommodation is available on campus. Twin rooms cost RM 1,400 per month and single rooms cost RM 1,600 per month. These rates make Charis one of the more affordable boarding options among international schools in East Malaysia.

Admissions at Charis International School Tawau

Charis accepts students from early years through Year 11. The admissions process includes a placement assessment to determine the appropriate year group. Both Malaysian and international students are welcome. Families interested in the boarding programme should indicate this at the point of application since residential places are limited.

Contact: 089-748 830, charistawau@outlook.com, charis.edu.my.

Charis International School Tawau in Sabah

Charis International School is in Tawau, Sabah. Sabah has 5 registered international schools and 33 private schools total. The Sabah international schools directory lists all options.

Tawau is the third-largest town in Sabah, located in the southeastern corner of the state near the Indonesian and Philippine borders. Families in the Tawau division, including those in the palm oil, timber, and seafood industries, use Charis as their nearest international schooling option.