Education in Bali: A Complete Guide for Expat Families
Families arrive in Bali from every corner of the world, and almost all of them ask the same first question: what do we do about school? The good news is that Bali offers more educational choice than almost anywhere in Southeast Asia. The challenge is making sense of it.
The main options
Broadly, expat families in Bali choose between four paths. International schools follow recognised curricula (British, IB, American) with conventional structures and fees to match. Indonesian national-plus schools blend the local curriculum with English-language instruction at lower cost. Homeschooling and online schooling give maximum flexibility, often supplemented with local activities and tutors. And alternative schools, which are Bali’s real speciality, offer project-based, nature-based and community-centred models that many families can’t find at home.
Ubud has become the island’s centre for that fourth category. Families move here specifically because education looks different: outdoors, hands-on, human-scale.
How to choose
Start with your child, not the school. A child who thrives on structure may want a conventional classroom; a child who has switched off from schooling at home often comes alive in a project-based environment. Then think honestly about your timeline - a family here for one term has different needs from a family settling for years. Finally, visit in person. Bali schools vary enormously and an hour on campus tells you more than a week of websites.
Where Future Human School fits
Future Human School is part of Bali’s alternative education movement: a progressive, project-based school in Mas, Ubud for ages 10–16. Students learn through five real-world project pathways - from entrepreneurship to film production, built on the Da Vinci Life-Skills curriculum, which weaves the traditional subjects of the UK national curriculum into transdisciplinary projects. Mentors replace teachers, portfolios replace grades, and the whole community regularly comes together for Village Days.
Our minimum enrolment is one term, which suits both settled families and worldschoolers, and new students begin with a two-week trial period.
What ages does Future Human School serve?
Ages 10–16. Most students join our Bridge Programme first and move up to the Core Programme when they’re skills-ready.
Do alternative schools in Bali still teach academics?
At Future Human School, yes - literacy and numeracy run daily and each project pathway covers subjects from the UK national curriculum, evidenced through portfolios and Da Vinci Qualifications.
When can we start?
At the beginning of any of our four terms, subject to places. Message us on WhatsApp or join the waitlist to begin.