Education in Malaysia

About education in malaysia

Education in Malaysia may be obtained from government-sponsored schools, private schools, or through homeschooling. The education system is highly centralised, particularly for primary and secondary schools, with state and local governments having little say in the curriculum or other major aspects of education. As in other Asian countries such as Singapore and China, standardised tests are a common feature, contributing to the high numbers of school dropouts.
History
Secular schools in Malaysia were largely an innovation of the British colonial government. There were four initial proposals for developing the national education system: the Barnes Report, Razak's Report, Ordinan Report and the Fenn-Wu Report. The former proposal was implemented through the 1952 Education Ordinance.
Many of the earliest schools in Malaysia were started in the Straits Settlements of Penang, Melaka, and Singapore. The oldest English school in Malaya is the Penang Free School, founded in 1816, followed by Malacca High School, and Anglo Chinese School, Klang. Many of these schools still carry with them an air of prestige although there is no formal difference between these schools and other schools.
British historian Richard O. Winstedt was concerned with the education of the Malays and he was instrumental in establishing Sultan Idris Training College. The college was established with the purpose of producing Malay teachers. R J Wilkinson, Winstedt predecessor on the other hand helped established the Malay College Kuala Kangsar in 1905 which aimed to educate the Malay elite.
Initially, the British colonial government did not provide for any Malay-medium secondary schools, forcing those who had studied in Malay during primary school to adjust to an English-medium secondary school. Many Malays opted to drop out instead. Despite complaints about this policy, the British Director of Education stated:
Malay representatives in the Federal Council as well as the Legislative Council of Singapore responded vehemently, with one calling the British policy ''a policy that trains the Malay boy how not to get employment'' by excluding the Malays from learning in the ''bread-earning language of Malaya''. He remarked:
Eventually, to remedy this problem, the British established the Malay College Kuala Kangsar. However, it was mainly intended as a way to educate future low-level civil servants, and not as a means to opening the doors of commerce to the Malays — the school was never intended to prepare students for entrance to higher institutions of education.
Characteristics
Education in Malaysia broadly consists of a set of stages which include:
Only Primary Education in Malaysia is mandated by law, hence it is not a criminal offence to neglect the educational needs of a child after six years of Primary Education.
Primary and secondary education in government schools are handled by the Ministry of Education, but policies regarding tertiary education are handled by the Ministry of Higher Education, created in 2004.
Starting in 2003, the government introduced the use of English as a medium of teaching in all science subjects, criticised by some as creating discrimination between students who are and who are not fluent in English.
Stages
Pre-School
Attendance in a pre-school programme is not universal and generally only affluent families can afford to send their children to private, for-profit pre-schools.
The government has no formal pre-school curriculum except a formal mandatory training and certification for principals and teachers before they may operate a pre-school. The training covers lessons on child psychology, teaching methodologies, and other related curricula on childcare and development.
Registered pre-schools are subjected to zoning regulations and must comply to other regulations such as health screening and fire hazard assessment. Many preschools are located in high density residential areas, where normal residences compliant to regulations from the Welfare Ministry are converted into the schools. Some private schools have pre-school sections. Other pre-school programmes are run by religious groups.
Primary
Primary education consists of six years of education, referred to as Year 1 to Year 6 (also known as Standard 1 to Standard 6). Year 1 to Year 3 are classified as Level One (''Tahap Satu'' in Malay) while Year 4 to Year 6 are considered as Level Two (''Tahap Dua''). Primary education begins at the age of 7 and ends at 12. Students are promoted to the next year regardless of their academic performance (poor curriculum induced).
From 1996 until 2000, the ''Penilaian Tahap Satu'' (PTS) or the Level One Evaluation was administered to Year 3 students. Excellence in this test allowed students to skip Year 4 and attend Year 5 instead. However, the test was removed from 2001 onwards due to concerns that parents and teachers were unduly pressuring students to pass the exam.
At the end of primary education, students in national schools are required to undergo a standardised test known as the ''Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah'' (UPSR) or Primary School Evaluation Test. The subjects tested are Malay comprehension, written Malay, English, Science and Mathematics. Previously, Chinese and Tamil comprehension along with written Chinese and Tamil are optional subjects for Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools.
In January 2003, a mixed medium of instruction was introduced so that Standard 1 students would learn Science and Mathematics in English whilst other subjects are taught in Malay. Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools generally conduct classes in Mandarin and Tamil respectively. Recently, Tamil schools have also begun to employ English for teaching Science and Mathematics and currently, Chinese schools teach Science and Mathematics in both English and Chinese. Participation in the UPSR is not compulsory, but all vernacular schools also administer the UPSR to their students as this allows for re-integration of their students into national schools for secondary education.
The division of public education at the primary level into national and national-type school has been criticised for allegedly creating racial polarisation at an early age. In the 1970s, around half of all Chinese parents sent their students to national schools; as of 2006, the same figure stood at 6%. Lim Guan Eng of the opposition Democratic Action Party stated that ''''When I was growing up in Malaysia, going to national schools, I never imagined that the country would become so polarized.'' Non-Malays, Chinese in particular, avoid national schools due to said schools being Malay-dominated and, especially in recent years, having an overwhelmingly Muslim atmosphere.
Secondary
Public secondary schools
Public secondary schools are regarded as extensions of the national schools. They study in five forms. Each form will take a year. Some students, however, will have to study in ''Remove'' before they can study in Form 1 because of the poor academic results, or simply choosing to do so, which is possible in some schools. At the end of Form 3, the ''Penilaian Menengah Rendah'' (PMR, formerly known as Sijil Pelajaran Rendah (SRP) or Lower Certificate of Education (LCE)) or Lower Secondary Evaluation is taken by students. Based on choice, they will be streamed into either the Science stream or Arts stream. The Science stream is generally more desirable. Students are allowed to shift to the Arts stream from the Science stream, but rarely vice-versa.
At the end of Form 5, students are required to take the ''Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia'' (SPM) or Malaysian Certificate of Education examination, before graduating from secondary school. The SPM was based on the old British ‘School Certificate’ examination before it became General Certificate of Education 'O' Levels examination, which became the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education). As of 2006, students are given a GCE 'O' Level grade for their English paper in addition to the normal English SPM paper. (Previously, this was reported on result slips as a separate result labelled 1119, which meant students received two grades for their English papers.) This separate grade is given based on the marks of the essay-writing component of the English paper. The essay section of the English paper is remarked under the supervision of officials from British 'O' Levels examination . Although not part of their final certificates, the 'O' Level grade is included on their results slip.
Shortly after the release of the 2005 SPM results in March 2006, the Education Ministry announced it was considering reforming the SPM system due to what was perceived as over-emphasis on As. Local educators appeared responsive to the suggestion, with one professor at the University of Malaya deploring university students who could not write letters, debate, or understand footnoting. He complained that ''They don't understand what I am saying. ... I cannot communicate with them.'' He claimed that ''Before 1957 (the year of independence), school heroes were not those with 8As or 9As, they were the great debaters, those good in drama, in sport, and those leading the Scouts and Girl Guides.'' A former Education Director-General, Murad Mohd Noor, agreed, saying that ''The rat race now begins at Standard 6 with the UPSR, with the competition resulting in parents forcing their children to attend private tuition.'' He also expressed dismay at the prevalence of students taking 15 or 16 subjects for the SPM, calling it ''unnecessary''.
Unified Examination Certificate
After receiving primary education in national-type primary school, some students may choose study in Chinese independent high school. In Chinese independent high schools however, students take a standardized test known as the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC). UEC has been run by the Dong Jiao Zhong (the association of Chinese school teachers and trustees) since 1975.
The UEC is available in three levels: Vocational Unified Exam (UEC-V), UEC Junior Middle Level (UEC-JML/JUEC) and Senior Middle Level (UEC-SML/SUEC). The syllabus and examinations for the UEC-V and UEC-JML are only available in the Chinese language. The UEC-SML has questions for mathematics, sciences (biology, chemistry and physics), bookkeeping, accounting and commerce in both Chinese and English. The difficulty of UEC-SML test papers is nearly equivalent to A-level except English.
Students in Chinese independent high school study in three junior middle levels and three senior middle levels. Each level usually take a year. Instead of five years in public secondary school, they have to study for six years. They are not allowed to be promoted to a higher level if they fail to pass the school examinations. They will have to study in the same level again in the next year. Those who fail to be promoted to a higher level after studying in the same level for three years will be dismissed from school. As a consequence, some students may take more than six years to finish their study in
Chinese independent high school. At the end of Junior Middle Three, students are required to take UEC-JML. Some students will take PMR as well. UEC-JML is more difficult than PMR. Like the students in public secondary school, students in Chinese independent high school will also be streamed into either Science Stream or Art/Commerce Stream since they are in Senior Middle One. At the end of Senior Middle Two, some students choose to take SPM examination. They may leave Chinese independent high school after SPM examination. Some students, however, choose to further their study in Senior Middle Three. At the end of Senior Middle Three, they take UEC-SML.
UEC-SML is recognised as the entrance qualification in many tertiary educational institutions internationally like Singapore, Australia, Taiwan, China and some European countries, but not by the government of Malaysia for entry into public universities. However, most private colleges recognise it. In May 2004 the National Accreditation Board (LAN) required students entering local private colleges using any qualification other than the SPM to pass the SPM Malay paper. This drew protests and the then Higher Education Minister Dr Shafie Salleh exempted UEC students from this requirement.
Co-Curricular Activities
Co-curricular activities in Malaysia are compulsory at the secondary level, where all students must participate in at least 2 activities. There are many co-curricular activities offered at the secondary level, varying at each school and each student is judged based in these areas. Competitions and performances are regularly organized. Co-curricular activities are often categorized under the following: Uniformed Groups, Performing Arts, Clubs & Societies, Sports & Games. Student may also participate in more than 2 co-curricular activities.
Pre-University
After the SPM, students from public secondary school would have a choice of either studying Form 6 or the matriculation (pre-university). If they are accepted to continue studying in Form 6, they will also take the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (which is usually abbreviated as STPM) or Malaysian Higher School Certificate examination (its British equivalent is the General Certificate of Education 'A' Levels examination or internationally, the Higher School Certificate). STPM is regulated by the . Form 6 consists of two years of study which is known as Lower 6 (''Tingkatan Enam Rendah'') and Upper 6 (''Tingkatan Enam Atas''). The STPM is known to be more difficult than the GCE A levels, covering a broader and deeper scope in syllabus. Although it is generally taken by those desiring to attend public universities in Malaysia, it is internationally recognised and may also be used, though rarely required, to enter private local universities for undergraduate courses.
Additionally all students may apply for admission to matriculation which is a one or two-year programme run by the Ministry of Education. Previously, it was a one-year programme, but beginning 2006, 30% of all matriculation students were offered two-year programmes. Not all applicants for matriculation are admitted and the selection criteria are not publicly declared, which has led to speculation that any criteria existing may not be adhered to. A race-based quota is applied on the admission process, with 90% of the places being reserved for the bumiputeras, and the other 10% for the non-bumiputeras. The matriculation programme is not as rigorous as the STPM. The matriculation programme has come under some criticism as it is the general consensus that this programme is much easier than the sixth form programme leading to the STPM and serves to help Bumiputeras enter the public university easily. Having been introduced after the abolishment of racial quota based admission into universities, the matriculation programme continues the role of its predecessor, albeit in modified form. It is considered easier because in the matriculation program the teachers set and mark the final exams that their students sit, whereas in the STPM the final exam is standardised and exam papers are exchanged between schools in different states to ensure unbiased marking. Also, the matriculation programme adopts a semester basis examination (2 semesters in a year) whilst STPM involves only one final examination, covering all 2 years' syllabus in one go. The scope and depth of syllabus in matriculation is also lesser to that of STPM. The disparity between the programmes does not end there, for it is a known fact that in critical courses offered by local public universities (such as Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Law), almost 70% of the students comprise matriculation students. On the contrary, STPM students forms the majority in courses which are less in demand, such as a Bachelor in Science. Defenders of the matriculation programme have described the two programmes as distinct and different, drawing the analogy of an apple and an orange. However, having serve the same purpose (i.e. as an entrance requirement to Universities), the Malaysian public is criticising the matriculation programme as a blatant practice of double standards.
The Centre for Foundation Studies in Science, University of Malaya, offers 2 programmes only for Bumiputera students: i) The Science Program, a one year course under the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Higher Education. After completing the program, the students are placed into various science-based courses in the local universities through the meritocracy system. ii) The Special Preparatory Program to Enter the Japanese Universities, a two year intensive programme under the Look East Policy Division of the Public Service Department of Malaysia in cooperation with the Japanese Government.
Some students undertake their pre-university studies in private colleges. They may opt for programmes such as the British 'A' Levels programme, the Canadian matriculation programme or the equivalent of other national systems - namely the Australian NSW Board of Studies Higher School Certificate and the American High School Diploma with AP subjects. More recently, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is becoming more popular as a pre-university option.
The Government has claimed that admission to Universities are purely meritocracy based, but having so many different pre-university programmes and without a standard basis for comparison among the students, the public has been highly sceptical of the claim.
Tertiary
Tertiary education in the public universities is heavily subsidised by the government. Applicants to public universities must have completed the Malaysia matriculation programme or have an STPM grade. Excellence in these examinations does not guarantee a place in a public university.The selection criteria are largely opaque as no strictly enforced defined guidelines exist.
The classification of tertiary education in Malaysia is organised upon the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF) which seeks to set up a unified system of post secondary qualifications offered on a national basis both in the vocational as well as higher educational sectors.
In 2004, the government formed the Ministry of Higher Education to oversee tertiary education in Malaysia. The ministry is headed by Mustapa Mohamed.
Although the government announced a reduction of reliance of racial quotas in 2002, instead leaning more towards meritocracy.
Prior to 2004, all lecturers in public tertiary institutions were required to have some post-graduate award as a requisite qualification. In October 2004, this requirement was removed and the Higher Education Ministry announced that industry professionals who added value to a course could apply for lecturing positions directly to universities even if they did not have postgraduate qualifications. To head off possible allegations that the universities faced a shortage of lecturers, Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow said ''This is not because we are facing a shortage of lecturers, but because this move will add value to our courses and enhance the name of our universities...Let's say Bill Gates and Steven Spielberg, both well known and outstanding in their fields, want to be teaching professors. Of course, we would be more than happy to take them in.'' He went on to offer architecture as an example whereby well-known architects recognized for their talents did not have a masters degree.
The academic independence of public universities' faculty has been questioned. Critics like Bakri Musa cite examples such as a scientist who was reprimanded by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak for ''publishing studies on air pollution'', and a professor of mathematics at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia who was reproved for criticising the government policy of teaching mathematics and science in English at the primary and secondary levels.
Students also have the choice of attending private institutions of higher learning. Many of these institutions offer courses in cooperation with a foreign institute or university. Some of them are branch campuses of these foreign institutions.
Many private colleges offer programmes whereby the student does part of his degree course here and part of it in the other institution, this method is named ''twinning''. The nature of these programs is somewhat diverse and ranges from the full ''twinning'' program where all credits and transcripts are transferable and admission is automatic to programs where the local institution offers an ''associate degree'' which is accepted at the discretion of the partnering university. In the latter case, acceptance of transcripts and credits is at the discretion of the partner.
Some foreign universities and colleges have also set up branch campuses in Malaysia, including:
Monash University, Australia.
The University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
SAE Institute, Australia
Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
Curtin University of Technology, Australia
Raffles Design Institute, Singapore
The net outflow of academics from Malaysia led to a ''brain gain'' scheme by then (1995) Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamed. The scheme set a target of attracting 5,000 talents annually. In 2004, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Datuk Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis in a parliamentary reply stated that the scheme attracted 94 scientists (24 Malaysians) in pharmacology, medicine, semi-conductor technology and engineering from abroad between 1995 and 2000. At the time of his reply, only one was remaining in Malaysia.
Postgraduate Programmes
Postgraduate degrees such as the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) are becoming popular and are offered by both the public universities and the private colleges.
All public and most private universities in Malaysia offer Master of Science degrees either through coursework or research and Doctor of Philosophy degrees through research.
Vocational Programmes and Polytechnics Schools
Besides the university degrees, students also have the option of continuing their education in professional courses such as the courses offered by the ICSA (Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators) etc. Polytechnics in Malaysia provide courses for diploma level (3 years) and certificate level (2 years).
The following is a list of the public polytechnics in Malaysia.
Politeknik Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah
Politeknik Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah
Politeknik Kota Bharu
Politeknik Kuching Sarawak
Politeknik Port Dickson
Politeknik Kota Kinabalu
Politeknik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah
Politeknik Johor Bahru
Politeknik Seberang Perai
Politeknik Kota, Melaka ( )
Politeknik Kota, Kuala Terengganu
Politeknik Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin
Politeknik Merlimau
Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah
Politeknik Kulim
Politeknik Sultan Idris Shah
Politeknik Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin
Politeknik Muadzam Shah
Politeknik Mukah
Universities produce almost 150,000 skilled graduates annually.
Education Levels
Standard 1 - 5KBSR and PKSR
Standard 6UPSR
Form 1 and 2Normal Exams equally for form
Form 3PMR
Form 4Normal Exams equally for form
Form 5SPM
Form 6STPM
Universities or CollegesBased on studies taken
Variants of schools
These are the different types of schools in Malaysia and their naming conventions.
Malay-medium schools where mother tongues are usually not taught. ''Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan'', acronym SRK is used for certain national type primary schools.
Within the national public school system are a few magnet type/charter public high schools. Admissions are very selective, reserved for students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and potential at the elementary level, Grade/Standard 1 through 6. These schools are either full time day or boarding schools ('asrama penuh'). Examples of these schools is the Malacca High School, Royal Military College (Malaysia) and Penang Free School.
Residential schools or Sekolah Berasrama Penuh are also known as Science Schools. These schools used to cater mainly for Malays elites but has since expanded as schools for nurturing Malays who are outstanding academically or those displaying talents in sports & leadership. The schools are modeled after British Boarding School.
Web Sites about education in malaysia
Education in Malaysia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Education in Malaysia may be obtained from government-sponsored schools, private schools, or through homeschooling. ... Only Primary Education in Malaysia is mandated by law, hence it is not a criminal offence for a child to only go to school for six years of primary education. ...
en.wikipedia.org
EDUCATION IN MALAYSIA
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Education Malaysia - www.educationmalaysia.gov.my
About 70 students registered to study in Malaysia during the event. Official Visit: 1. Tertiary Education Commission, Ministry of Education Mauritius ... Disclaimer: The Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia shall not be liable for any lost or damage caused by the usage of any ...
www.educationmalaysia.gov.my
StudyMalaysia.com: Malaysian Education Guide Online
StudyMalaysia.com - Malaysia's Premier Education Resource Guide Online. Study Malaysia Online provides comprehensive information on higher education system, various higher ...
www.studymalaysia.com
StudyMalaysia.com - Malaysia's Premier Education Resource Guide Online
StudyMalaysia.com - Malaysia's Premier Education Resource Guide Online. Study Malaysia Online provides comprehensive information on higher education system,
studymalaysia.com
Tourism Malaysia : Activities : Education Tourism
Malaysia is increasingly recognised by students from around the world as the preferred choice for tertiary and continuing education. Today, great numbers of bright young ...
www.tourism.gov.my
Malaysia: Report: Part I: Descriptive Section
Next Page. MALAYSIA EDUCATION FOR ALL. INTRODUCTION. In a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural country like Malaysia, national unity is an overriding goal in the formulation of socio ...
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Malaysia Education
a guide to Malaysia Education, Malaysia Universities, Malaysia Colleges, and Malaysia Schools.
malaysiaeducationguide.com
Education in Malaysia Summary and Analysis Summary
Education in Malaysia summary with 25 pages of encyclopedia entries, essays, summaries, research information, and more. ... Education in Malaysia may be obtained from government-sponsored schools, private schools, or through homeschooling. ...
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Malaysia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Malaysia is also one of the region's top education and healthcare destinations. Malaysia is recognised as a newly industrialised country. [63] In 2008, GDP per capita (PPP) of ...
en.wikipedia.org
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