Moving from UK as a teacher

I like Malaysia (a lot), but I suggest that you look at Indonesia.

Indonesia has a serious shortage of native speaker teachers so conditions tend to be good, as do salaries.

Just a thought.

Just a note - The Japanese school in Bintaro (Near Jakarta) pays very well, but they advertise for a new teacher every year. That should tell you what I'm trying to say.

If Indonesia sparks any interest, give me a shout.

I earn nothing from this, but I'm happy to offer pointers.

Asalaamualaikum

I hope you're well.

I have recently moved near KL (not inside KL), and I think there are many variables involved. I think you'd need to look at your own situation and what would work best for you and your family.

I think some schools offer lower than what you've quoted and then there is the EPF (pension) that you'd have an option of paying into and then there's your income tax. The tax is dependent on your situation (married with children and if paying zakat)

Car tax and insurance, electricity and water bills are  a lot cheaper than the UK, and there is no council tax.

You'd also need to look at your package and what is/is not included.

Whether or not it is enough depends on your spending habits.

For me, I have been here for 5 months and I have enjoyed it a lot.

If you're looking at a 2026 move it is a good time to consider. For 2025, a lot of adverts will have already gone out and will be filled/be filling at the moment.

Where to go, I believe the best thing would be apply where you want and do istikhara. And you will be given what is best for you and your family. 

I wish you all the best and what is best and most peaceful for your family.

Happy to discuss on the phone if you wish. Feel free to DM me for contact details.

@Fred

HI Fred, I am looking to move abroad with my family and looking for teaching jobs at an international school. I have thought about Indonesia but have been a little reluctant to apply as I don’t know much about the country. Are you able to tell me a little bit more about teaching in Indonesia. Many thanks. 

@FredHI Fred, I am looking to move abroad with my family and looking for teaching jobs at an international school. I have thought about Indonesia but have been a little reluctant to apply as I don’t know much about the country. Are you able to tell me a little bit more about teaching in Indonesia. Many thanks. - @Forzana_k

Avoid language mills - they tend to have low wages and poor working conditions, especially late hours

National plus schools tend to be mid range as far as cash goes, but they don't tend to have anyone able to check your work

International schools normally use Cambridge curriculum, but some use Indian, Japanese, or whatever country they represent.

The Japanese school in Bintaro advertises very nice salaries and benefits - every year. I have to question why they need new people so often.

A lot of schools want native speakers as conversation teachers - You might consider using Cambridge language assessment tests as your waymarkers.

Weaker students won't do well using Oxford or Cambridge books - Look at My Pals international edition from Marshall Cavendish for vocab and grammar, then add what you need for Cambridge language tests.

Find out about Mentari books and get onto their mailing lists

A Cambridge school will want students to B1 or B2 by grade 6 (Primary Checkpoint), and C1 by junior high. C2 for A level.

Your greatest problems will be grammar and vocabulary, especially if the school uses Oxford or Cambridge books.

Hi Forzana, and to anyone else interested in making a move - anywhere. Even though you may have a certain country in mind, bear in mind there are many variables that will impact whether you feel your move is good or not. Whilst you may currently be thinking about the country, imagine in the UK there are huge differences between London and Scarborough and Penzance in Cornwall.

In the UK I lived in SW London and in Hertfordshire, two very different areas. I have also worked in a wide range of schools in the UK. I left one after a term (the school's situation and my personal situation at the time meant it wasn't for me at that time), and another I stayed at for 6 years (a well organised school where I was promoted twice within my time and I really enjoyed it). Many variables impact whether you enjoy something or not.

In terms of pay, many people just look at the salary as a figure and how much more than it is or isn't compared to their salary in the UK, but consider the cost of living, the quality of the accommodation given or the allowance given and what can be rented for that amount. Any other allowances such as utilities and probably the most important are your children's school tuition fees and the quality of the education they will be getting.

Then also consider where you will be living. I am currently about an hour away from KL which is nice and peaceful for me, but others feel it is too far from the social side of KL and everything that it offers.

Then also think about he school you are going to. What are the children like, the staff, SLT, your HOD and department - all huge factors. Sometimes a good place to look is International Schools Review however these can be biased, not representative of your department or in some cases, out of date.

There are MANY factors to consider and if you are moving with a family, even more so.

I think the main factor is - does the school you want to join have a vacancy for you and if so, are they offering you the role? You cannot make a decision if there is no offer on the table. The school I have been wanting to join for years (a particular school in Saudi), I have not seen any relevant vacancies and so it is not an option for me at all.

Salary

Cost of living is hard to work out when you aren't in a country, but there's a quick way to work out how well off you will be.

If the country has minimum wage requirements, divide your proposed salary by that.

I can't speak for Malaysia, but you should get around minimum times 6 in Indonesia.

If not, it's low. A fair minimum for a new teacher might be 22 million, but 30 is far more common.

As qualified UK teachers are difficult to find, higher numbers are pretty much the norm.

Would you use your salary before or after tax/pension deductions?

Numbeo is a good website to get a general idea of costs in other cities. I also used Google/Facebook and supermarket websites to see costs of some goods and services in the local area I was moving to.

Hi everyone,

I am currently due to have an interview for a French teaching position at an International school using the British Curriculum in Kuala Lumpur this week.

I received my qualified teacher status last year and so have 3 year teaching experience.

I have read here and in other threads about salary expectations and taxes and was hoping if I could get an answer as to the salary expectation. and is the salary you think I should be expecting enough to live on and save money after taxes (not even sure what the tax rate is in Malaysia). Thanks again for any suggestions and help with this.

Most international schools want 2 years post QTS experience so schools may offer you a bit lower based on that, but just think about what your requirement is.

It's not just about the salary but the full package and how it suits you. E.g. housing and the type of housing, utilities, medical insurance, flights, and the big one is children's tuition fees.

How much you spend is on you. You can eat out for as little as a few ringitt or maybe 50+ for a meal.

Many international schools offer different salaries. I saw an advert for a headteacher offering a salary similar to my salary as a teacher. The salaries can vary a lot.

Happy to discuss more if you wish. Feel free to DM me and we can arrange a call. I have tried to guide a few others from here and people that have contacted me from other circles.