Pal Buddhist School · Sydney
A Training Ground for Dhamma Warriors in Sydney
Australia's first and only K–12 Buddhist school. Strong academic results, a caring community, and an education for both the heart and the mind.
This week's wisdom: Better than a thousand empty words is one word that brings peace. (Dhammapada 100)
Students at morning mindfulness, first light
Mr Panha Pal, founder
Founded by a son of Phnom Penh
Mr Panha Pal was born in Phnom Penh in 1971. He survived the hardships of war as a child and arrived in Australia as a refugee at age 10, with little formal schooling. Through diligence and discipline he topped the state in Year 12, became an engineer, and found in the Buddha's teachings a guide for life. In 2013 he founded Pal Buddhist School so that children could receive what he wished every child could have: excellence in learning, grounded in morality.
Read Mr Pal's story →Three reasons families choose PBS
Character first, results follow
Weekly Dhamma and Ethics classes, daily mindfulness, and a culture of respect and gratitude.
Proven academic results
A unique Master Curriculum for the HSC, and recognition as the top-ranked affordable private school in NSW/ACT in 2026 (news.com.au ranking).
Your child is cared for
Small classes, vetted homestays, a dedicated International Student Coordinator, and regular reports to parents.
A PBS school in Cambodia
Pal International School is now open in Siem Reap: the same purpose of wisdom, morality and discipline, in Mr Pal's mother country. Families can begin the PBS way of learning at home in Cambodia, and continue in Sydney.
The Siem Reap to Sydney pathway →Growing for the future
A second campus is planned at Leppington in South-West Sydney, on land purchased in 2020.
See the Leppington concept video (PalTV) →Your journey in six steps
Like a lotus rising into light, each step opens the next. Our team walks beside you the whole way.
- 1. Discover
- 2. Plan and budget
- 3. Apply
- 4. Visa and welfare
- 5. Get ready
- 6. Thrive
- Ranked 1st in NSW/ACT among Australia's top 100 affordable private schools (2026)
- HSC top 100 school in NSW (rank 95, 2022)
- CRICOS registered for international students since 2014
- Protected by a Buddhist Guardian, Dhamma Training Ground
- Graduates with ATARs of 95 to 99
At PAL, success is not achieved through competition, but through collective upliftment. Once a Pal, always a Pal.
Begin with a conversation
Our team in Cambodia will listen, answer your questions honestly, and help you decide if PBS is right for your child. There is no cost and no obligation.
Book a free consultation