As an established city, Petaling Jaya is a city that offers myriad education institutions for all ages and professions, with education services ranging from the private to the public sector.
From early childhood centres up to tertiary institutions, PJ has ample schooling options that are tailored to the needs of each student.
Early Childhood Centres
Working parents in Petaling Jaya who are unable to dedicate time to their little tots will not need to fret as Petaling Jaya has many early preschool and childcare centres tailored to meet all financial standings.
Noteworthy preschools and kindergartens within Petaling Jaya are aplenty. Some predominant preschools are housed in bungalows or corner-lot terraces situated within established residential areas, offering a holistic environment for children to study in.
Other longstanding centres still going strong include Tadika Chim in Section 14 as well as Peter & Jane Kindergarten in Damansara Jaya.
However, newer establishments are located within commercial centres and the rise of playschools offering different scopes of learning and play can also be seen in such areas.
A classroom with desk, tables and blackboard
Such centres can be found at The School in Jaya One, Section 13 offering specific classes such as language, music, arts and craft, science and math classes, among others.
Primary and secondary schools
There are many primary and secondary schools in Petaling Jaya, all of which claim to provide the best in education and co-curriculum.
It is said that the oldest school in Petaling Jaya is likely to be the Road 10 Primary School in Old Town where the foundation stone of the school was placed by Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah in 1952.
Dating back to the 50s with some close to 60 years old, these schools boast the reputation of delivering polished students excelling in educational and co-curriculum alike.
PJ also is famous for having a range of co-ed schools, all-girls and all-boys schools, not to mention vernacular schools.
Famous schools in the area includes Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Tunku in SS1, Sekolah Kebangsaan Kelana Jaya in SS6, Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Damai in Section 17 and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman SEA in SS2, among others.
Meanwhile, noteworthy and longstanding secondary schools in Petaling Jaya include Bukit Bintang Boys School in PJS52, SMK Assunta in Jalan Changgai, Sri Aman Girls School in Section 14, Catholic High School on Jalan 10, La Salle PJ on Jalan Chantek and SMK Sultan Abdul Samad on Jalan 12.
Other secondary schools gaining attention for the right reasons comprise SMK Damansara Utama in SS20, SMK Damansara Jaya in SS22, SMK Taman Medan in Jalan Klang Lama, SMK (P) Taman Petaling in Section 5 and SMK Taman SEA in SS2.
Tertiary Institutions
The oldest and most esteemed, University Malaya is in PJ alongside Malaysia’s first private nursing college at Assunta Hospital called the Tun Tan Cheng Lock College of Nursing which was founded in 1961.
Additionally, there are more than 25 colleges and universities in this city with high credentials such as KDU University College (KDU) in Damansara Jaya, Kolej Bandar Utama (KBU) in Bandar Utama, IACT College at Damansara Utama as well as Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Petaling Jaya Campus in Section 13 as well as SEGi University Kota Damansara in Kota Damansara.
Moreover, the National Institute of Ophthalmic Science – The Academic Arm of The Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital in on Lorong Utara B Petaling Jaya, the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM/UIAM) centre for foundation studies campus in Section 17, and MARA University of Technology (UiTM) campus branch on Jalan Othman in Section 1.
Other institutions such as Tun Abdul Razak University (UNITAR) main campus in SS6 Kelana Jaya, Stamford College on Jalan Timur, Malaysia University of Science & Technology (MUST) main campus in SS7, and International University College Of Technology Twintech a private college in Bandar Sri Damansara, are among the few higher learning centres in PJ.
Private and International Schools
The education offered in Petaling Jaya would however be incomplete without the crème-de-la-crème of schools. The German School of Kuala Lumpur or Deutsche Schule Kuala Lumpur located along Jalan Utara is a famous avenue among German expatriates to school their children.
International schools such as Maz International School in Section 14, Sri KDU International School in Kota Damansara, British International School at Bandar Utama, Nobel International School in SS6 and Sri Emas International School in SS7 are among the international schools available in Petaling Jaya.