KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Fairview International has set its eyes on expansion in Asia and the United Kingdom after having successfully been listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
Fairview, the operator of international schools with the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, made its debut on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) late last week.
Its ordinary shares were admitted to trading on the LSE's Main Market on Oct 11 under the ticker "FIL".
Fairview operates two private independent schools in Malaysia that offer the IB programme.
One of the schools is in Kuala Lumpur, and the other in Johor.
The schools trade under the Fairview brand which was founded in 1978.
There are three other schools in Malaysia and one in the United Kingdom that also trade under the Fairview brand, which are outside of the company's brand but to which it provides administrative services
The company plans to develop a wider network of schools which can offer international education including the IB both in Asia and the UK.
"With a rise in popularity of the IB programme around the world, we believe that the company's schools will appeal particularly to the Asean, China and Hong Kong market," Fairview chairman Daniel Chian said.
"The conclusion of our IPO is the beginning of the next step in our expansion as we seek further opportunities to grow the Fairview network of schools in Asia and the UK," Chian added.
According to the Asian Development Bank, the middle class in Asia will number 3.5 billion and account for over 65 per cent. of the global middle-class population by 2030.
Chian said the IB curriculum's emphasis on critical thinking, global citizenship and multilingualism aligns closely with the values and aspirations of many Asian families.
"We believe that Fairview is well placed to serve this rapidly growing marketplace, through both organic growth and by successful acquisition and integration.
"The Fairview network is over 40 years old with a commitment to providing high quality international education at a competitive cost. Being a publicly listed company on the London Stock Exchange further distinguishes us and underlines our ambition to grow our schools and reputation. We are very proud to begin Fairview's journey on the LSE,": Chian said.
Fairview said its directors believe that the listing represents an important milestone in its ongoing development by raising its profile, widening shareholder base and providing potential access to development capital as it seeks to add further schools to the Fairview brand.