Charis International School

Charis International School (CIS) started on Aug 24, 2014 as the first registered international school in Tawau and the third for the East Malaysian State of Sabah. We are providing an internationally recognised education for local Malaysian and international students, from kindergarten to secondary. Our school follows the Cambridge International curriculum for its primary and secondary programmes, which are approved by the Ministry of Education Malaysia. We are also a registered Cambridge centre for conducting the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examination. The IGCSE qualification is equivalent to GCE 'O'-Levels and is widely accepted as an entrance standard to many colleges or universities worldwide.

The school has received encouraging response from the local community. Outstation and international students can enroll as "Charis Home" is available to offer "A Home Away From Home"

International school education is the preferred education to give children a better head start for a globalized world that is rapidly changing due to advances in digital technology as well as a need to enhance English language skills for effective communication globally. CIS is well prepared to take our children towards this challenge with our 21st century classrooms where smart TVs, Apple TVs, iPads and computers are part of the learning tools in class and in communication between students, teachers and parents.

Our academic session starts in August each year and consists of three terms per year, each term lasting between 12 and 15 weeks (totalling to approximately 40 teaching weeks per year). Admissions tests and trial classes are usually conducted twice a year but may also be provided upon individual requests.

We are located in Tawau's landmark, Calvary Crown; a ten-story multipurpose building that is situated very strategically in the heart of the town.

The Principal

Lecturer, Medical Faculty

University of Malaya (1983-2005)

Professor, Medical Faculty

University of Malaya (2006-2017)

Honorary Professor, Medical Faculty

University of Malaya (2017-Current)

The principal of Charis International School, Dr. Debra Sim holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom (UK). She has been lecturing in the Medical Faculty of University Malaya since 1993 and as a Professor from 2006 until her recent retirement in 2017. She is currently an honorary professor supervising some Master’s students.

Dr. Debra Sim has received much recognition for her work that she is listed in the World Who is Who list in Medicine and Healthcare, USA 2006-2007 and Asian/American Who’s Who, Vol. IV, 2004 India. She was the recipient of the 'Best Lecturer' award in the Paraclinical/Year II category from the Medical Society, University of Malaya, in 1986, 1989, 1991, and 1994; and from the Dental Society, University of Malaya, in 1989 and 1994. She is the recipient of the Excellent Service Award for the years 2000, 2002, and 2009, and the Excellent Service Certificate for the year 2004 and 2005 at the University of Malaya.

From the World Bank Fellowship, she was awarded a one month's study-visit on Problem-based Learning in the University of New Mexico, United States of America, from 1983 till 2019. Dr. Debra has published at least 73 full articles in peer-reviewed academic journals, of which 26 is in medical education. She has contributed to various book Chapters published with 4 in Education and 9 in Health Sciences. She is the co-editor of one book in Pharmacology. She wrote and created the Training manuals and guidebooks for students and staff on problem-based learning (PBL) and prescribing skills.

Her motto at work is: "The sky is the limit for my learning. Professionalism is the goal of my service; Integrity is the guiding principle in my research. The rest I leave it in the hands of the Almighty, All-Knowing, and All-Loving God."

Dr. Debra shared: "Knowing the answer to a question or the solution to a problem is not the ultimate goal in studying. My goal in studying is to explore the many different paths to arrive at the answer or solution, which means understanding the processes of problem resolution and then to decide on which is the best."

Despite the fact that Dr. Debra is in high demand even among the colleges of higher learning and among the corporate world to train their staff, she has chosen to come back to Tawau, her hometown, more as a calling to contribute and impact the life of younger generation. She has great plans in store to bring Charis students and staff to the next level of creative and critical thinking through specially planned activities and workshops. She wants to promote a thinking culture in Charis.

Her joining Charis will mark another milestone in the continuous growth and development of Charis towards becoming a 21st century school of excellence. Dr. Debra is no stranger in Charis as she has conducted a 'Thinking About Thinking' workshop as well as visited Charis on several occasions. Students and staff have enjoyed and benefited from the workshop. She is very passionate about training students to be critical and creative thinkers over rote learners. This is very much in line with our Cambridge curriculum to prepare our students to be global learners in a borderless world of knowledge explosion and rapid technological advances.