(Note: Tertiary education at higher educational institutions in Malaysia is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Higher Education)
MOE sets in place a comprehensive schooling system from pre-school to secondary education, apart from its responsibilities of regulating the operations of all public and private-funded schools and educational institutions. The strategies to enhance education excellence to a higher level are spelt out in the National Education Blueprint 2006-2010.
Under the national education system, a child's education begins at pre-school at the age of four and admittance to the first year of the 6-year compulsory primary education when the child reaches the age of six as at the first day of January of the current school year. Most schools at this level are government or government-aided schools. However, the number of private schools are growing to meet the demand of more affluent parents in the city.
The government provides 11 years of free primary and secondary education in public schools. Education at private schools and international schools are provided at a fee.
Primary schooling is mandatory for all children. Thus, children between the ages of seven and 12 have to register and enrol at primary schools. Home schooling or home-based teaching, i.e. teaching children at home, is allowed but permission must be sought from MOE.
The school term starts in January and ends in November. All students from both public and private schools under the national education system study the same national curriculum and sit for common public examinations at the end of the primary, lower secondary, upper secondary and sixth form levels.
The first three levels of examination are conducted by the examination body, namely, the Examination Syndicate of the MOE whereas the final level. i.e. the sixth form examination is conducted by another examination body, namely, the Malaysian Examination Council.
Within the education structure in Malaysia, there are also foreign schools (i.e. international schools and expatriate schools) that use foreign curriculum and languages to teach students. These foreign schools are unique as they are not governed by the Education Act 1996 and do not need to conduct the Malaysian National Curriculum.
18(1) : The Minister shall prescribe a curriculum known as the National Curriculum which, subject to subsection (3), shall be used by all schools in the National Educational System (Note: The prescribed curriculum for kindergartens is known as National Pre-school Curriculum)
18(2) : The National Curriculum prescribed under subsection (1) shall specify the knowledge, skills and values that are expected to be acquired by pupils at the end of their respective periods of schooling and shall include the core subjects as set out in the Schedule and other subjects that may be prescribed.
18(3) : In the case of private schools (excluding international and expatriate schools), subsection (1) shall be deemed to have been complied with, if the core subjects of the National Curriculum as set out in the Schedule are taught in the schools.
18(4) : The Minister may from time to time by order publish in the Gazette to amend or alter the Schedule.
The National Curriculum prescribes a list of subjects for all levels of schooling. The subjects and their meaning are categorised as:
(Note: In the context of this directory, 'private schools' refer to private-funded schools registered under the Education Act 1996 and do not include expatriate schools or international schools)
The private sector plays a vital part in pre-tertiary education particularly at pre-school levels and actively offers pre-school, primary and secondary education in urban areas. The private sector or self-funded providers cater to parents who can afford education for their children at a fee.
There are three categories of educational institutions providing pre-tertiary education under the Education Act and are delineated below:
(Note: The other category of private-funded education institution is the foreign system schools which include international schools and expatriate schools. They are not governed by the Education Act 1996 and are exempted from conducting the Malaysian National Curriculum.)
In order to enhance the access of pre-school education to all children regardless of race and religion particularly in the rural areas, MOE is aggressively expanding the pre-school programme at government schools for children aged 5+ with additional classes and well-trained teachers to lead the classes. The Ministry also provides special pre-school classes for children with hearing or visual impairment.
Providers of Pre-schools Education
In the system, pre-school education is for children aged four to six. The
providers are pre-schools or kindergartens that are available throughout
the country and operated by government agencies, non-governmental
organisations as well as the private sector. The main government agencies
that offer preschool education are the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of
Rural Development (KEMAS), ABIM, the State Religious Department and the
National Unity Department.
Curricular Emphasis
All kindergartens need to adopt the National Pre-school Curriculum (NPC)
set by MOE. The curriculum enables pre-school children to acquire sufficient
basic communication, personality development, social and other positive
skills that will prepare them for primary schooling.
(Note: For more information on pre-school education, kindly refer to Chapter 1 and Chapter 2)
Providers of Primary Education
There are three categories of primary schools under the national education
system and are governed by the Education Act 1996:
All the above schools (which do not include international or expatriate
schools) are to use the prescribed national curriculum which specifies the
knowledge, skills and values that are expected to be acquired by pupils at the
end of their respective periods of schooling. All schools are required to teach
core subjects and other such subjects as prescribed under the Act.
For national schools, the medium of instruction used is the Malay language (Bahasa Melayu). However, the medium of instruction in national-type schools is either Chinese (Mandarin) or Tamil. In both types of schools, the Malay language is a compulsory subject as with English which is taught as a second language. Chinese, Tamil and indigenous languages are also offered as subjects at national schools.
As for private schools, they are approved under the Education Act 1996 to conduct classes using the Malay language as the medium of instruction and such schools are required to teach the core subjects of the national curriculum. Private schools usually have extended schooling hours.
Curriculum Emphasis
The national curriculum for primary schools is known as Primary School
Integrated Curriculum or Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Rendah (KBSR).
Primary education is divided into two phases - Phase I (Standard 1 to 3) and
Phase II (Standard 4 to 6). At Phase I, the emphasis is on acquiring strong
reading, writing and arithmetic skills. At Phase II, the mastery of these skills
is reinforced and emphasis is given to building a strong foundation in content
and basic science.
The six years of primary school education focuses on the development of personality, attitude, values, study skills and thinking skills as well as the acquisition of knowledge and pre-vocational education. Throughout the country, more than 98 percent of children from this age group participate in primary schooling.
Since 2003, English has been introduced as the medium of instruction for two subjects namely, science and mathematics for all schools. However, the government will revert the policy of teaching of mathematics and science in English to Bahasa Melayu at national schools and Chinese and Tamil in vernacular schools beginning 2012.
Under the Act, at the end of the sixth year of primary schooling, students are required to sit for a common public examination, called the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) or Primary School Achievement Test.
Providers
There are two categories of secondary schools under the national education
system and are governed by the Education Act 1996:
Levels of Secondary Education
Secondary education is divided into lower and upper secondary levels, and a
special year of transition programme known as 'Remove Class' for students
from the National-Type Chinese and Tamil Primary Schools who do not do
well in their language subjects in the UPSR examination.
The different levels are:
• Remove Class
Remove Class is a transition year for students from the Chinese and Tamil
medium schools to acquire sufficient proficiency in Bahasa Melayu which is
the medium of instruction in secondary school (Form 1 to Form 5). However,
students who perform well in Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah, UPSR (Primary
School Achievement Test) are allowed to proceed to Form 1.
• Lower Secondary (Form 1 - Form 3, age 13 - 15)
The lower secondary level covers a duration of three years, i.e. Form 1 to
Form 3. Education at this level is general in nature and schools conducting
classes at this level are academic-based schools. Students from the
national primary schools proceed directly to Form 1. Students from the
Chinese and Tamil medium national-type schools are allowed to enter Form
1 directly without undergoing a year of transition class (Remove Class)
provided that they have scored good grades in the UPSR examination.
At the end of the third year at the lower secondary level, students will be required to sit for a public examination called the Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) or the Lower Secondary Assessment (LSA). However, PMR is not a terminal examination. It is more of a diagnostic evaluation instead. Therefore, all students will be automatically promoted to the upper secondary level for another two years to complete 11 years of free education.
• Upper Secondary (Form 4 – Form 5, age 16 - 17)
After completing the Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) examination at
Form 3, students proceed to another two years of education at upper
secondary schools. Based on their preference, PMR examination results
and aptitude, students can opt to enter any of the schools below. After two
years of upper secondary education, students sit for the public common
examination Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, SPM (also known as the Malaysian
Certificate of Education which is equivalent to the GCE 'O' level).
Under the upper secondary level, there are:
(i) Academic Secondary Schools
Students in upper secondary academic schools will pursue a broad
based academic education. Core subjects, compulsory subjects
and elective subjects which are mainly science, applied arts, and
humanities based are offered. Students are allowed to choose
either the science or arts stream depending on their capabilities and
interests, in the open certification system.
(Note: Most secondary schools in the country are academic schools.)
(ii) Technical Schools
This type of school offers three streams, i.e. technical stream,
vocational stream and skills stream. Students enrolled in the technical
stream study the same core subjects of the upper secondary school
curriculum and can choose science and technical subjects as
electives. Only students with a strong background in mathematics and
science are selected to enrol in the technical stream. Students from
this stream are encouraged to continue their studies in science and
technology-related courses at certificate, diploma or degree levels.
The vocational education stream provides courses in pre-employment skills as well as general education. Emphasis is given to general and vocational subjects in order to provide students with a good foundation for admission into polytechnics, community colleges and other institutions of higher education.
In the skills training stream, however, emphasis is given to practical work to develop competency in trade skills required by related industries. They are prepared for the National Vocational Training Certificate (NVTC) qualification, awarded by the Department of Skills Development, Ministry of Human Resources.
In order to increase the participation of students in science and technology sectors on par with the 60:40 principle, technical subjects are offered in academic secondary schools and national religious secondary schools.
(iii) National Religious Secondary Schools
These schools are known as Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama
and offer Islamic Religious Education and Arabic Studies. Subjects
related to science and technology are also included. These schools
maintain their uniqueness in offering specialised elective courses in
Islamic Studies which are not available at other schools.
The compulsory subjects are Tasawwur Islam, Al-Quran study and As- Sunnah and Syariah Islamiah study. NRSS also offers elective subjects such as pure science, arts, technology, information technology and languages.
(iv) Special Education Schools
Specially tailored for students with special needs such as students
with disabilities, students with visual or hearing impairment as well as
those with learning disabilities. Such students are given an extended
time frame to complete their education. There are also schools for
mentally retarded children in some states.
Curricular Emphasis
The secondary school education aims to increase the level of proficiency in
Bahasa Melayu and English Language; promote the general development of
students by helping them acquire knowledge and stay competent; develop a
broader base of intellectual capacity, self-confidence and skills in order to
cope with new areas of knowledge and technological knowledge; and inculcate
values based on the National Philosophy of Education. The ultimate goal is to
develop a strong foundation for life-long education. The National Curriculum
prescribed for secondary schools is known as the Integrated Curriculum for
Secondary Schools or Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah (KBSM).
The medium of instruction in secondary school is Bahasa Melayu while English is taught as a second language in all schools. There are core subjects and compulsory subjects offered to all as examination subjects which are stated in the Education Regulations (National Curriculum). Chinese, Tamil and Arabic (communication) are offered as additional subjects. Foreign languages such as French and other indigenous languages are also being introduced. At the end of the second year (Form 5), students are required to sit for a public common examination, the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Open Certification Examination.
SPM Open Certification System
(refer to Appendix for more information)
The education system at the upper secondary level is based on the concept
of open certification where students study six common core subjects as
well as a wide range of elective subjects depending on their interests and
capabilities. Upon completing two years of studies at this level, all upper
secondary students (irrespective of the type of school) are required to sit for
the common public examination called the Malaysia Certificate of Education
or Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Open Certification Examination. From 2010
onwards, candidates are only allowed to sit for a maximum of 10 subjects.
The current SPM examination that practises open certification was implemented in 2000, replacing the former SPM and SPM (Vocational) examinations.
(Note: Please refer to Appendix section for more information)
At secondary school level, more than 90% of students continue their education at national public schools which use Bahasa Malaysia as a medium of instruction. English is taught as a second language.
Private schools which follow the Malaysian curriculum and international schools (subject to terms and conditions) are among the choices available.
The National Education Blueprint 2006-2010 is a brilliant five-year comprehensive education plan. The government is committed in developing human capital and is set to build an education system which is world-class and capable of producing students who are competent and competitive with high moral values to meet both local and international demands.
Sources of Reference :
• Education Act 1996
• www.moe.gov.my
• 'Pendidkan Di Malaysia' published by Ministry of Education, 2005
• Schools of Malaysia Directory (2nd Edition)
• Malaysian Educational Statistics 2007 & Quick Fact 2008, Education Planning & Research Division, Ministry of Education
• Education Statistics for Private Education 2006, Department of Private Education, MOE
• The National Education Blueprint 2006-2010, Ministry of Education
• Various Related Agencies from the Ministry of Education
Source: Schools of Malaysia Directory 3rd Ed.
We all dream; we do not understand our dreams, yet we act as if nothing strange goes on in our sleep minds, strange at least by comparison with the logical, purposeful doings of our minds when we are awake.
- Erich Fromm
"Cat got your tongue?"
If someone asks if the cat has got your tongue, they want to know why you are not speaking when they think you should.