Malaysia - Education System

The Malaysian education system encompasses education beginning from pre-school to university. Pre-tertiary education (pre-school to secondary education) is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education (MOE) while tertiary or higher education is the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE). The vision of the Government is to make Malaysia a centre of educational excellence.

Primary and Secondary Education
Primary education (a period of 6 years) and secondary education (5 years which encompasses 3 years of lower secondary and 2 years of upper secondary) make up 11 years of free education.

Post-secondary Education
Upon completion of secondary education, students can opt to pursue 1 to 2 years of post-secondary education. This is the university entrance preparatory course. In total, the 12 years of school education serves as the basic entry requirement into Year One of a bachelor’s degree programme in higher educational institutions.


The admission age to the first year of primary education is seven. Primary schooling is mandatory for all children between the ages of 7 and 12. Students sit for common public examinations at the end of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary levels.

Government-funded Educational Institutions
The Government provides more than 95% of primary and secondary education as well as about 60% of the tertiary education, with the private sector providing the balance.

Private-funded Educational Institutions
The private education providers in Malaysia can be broadly grouped into 2 categories, depending on the levels of education offered, ranging from pre-school to tertiary education. These two categories of private institutions are :

 

Category 1	Category 2
Private Educational Institutions (PEIs) which provide education at preschool, primary and secondary levels. They comprise private schools and foreign system schools.	Private Higher Educational Institutions (PHEIs) which provide tertiary education leading to the awarding of certificate, diploma and degree qualifications.

 

 

 

Government-funded Educational Institutions
A) Primary and Secondary

Malaysian Government provides more than 95% of primary and secondary education.

 

 

 

B) Higher Education

Malaysian Government provide 60% of the tertiary education, with the private sector providing the balance 40%.

 

 

Malaysia is initiating many approaches in order to keep up with the changing world and current needs which will generate a well-structured development of higher education. The government has also clearly outlined the strategic thrusts in the National Higher Education Strategic Plan to make Malaysia an international centre of educational excellence by 2020.

Public and private education providers in Malaysia play equally important roles in the provision of higher education. Together, the public and private sectors provide abundant study options. Higher educational institutions offer programmes leading to the award of certificates, diplomas as well as postgraduate qualifications.

Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) is an assurance that the public and private education sectors are working hand-in-hand to make Malaysia a centre of educational excellence in the region, providing quality education for all.
Students in Malaysia can choose to study either

1) locally-run programmes,
2) twinning academic programmes,
3) Vocational, technical or skills training.
The method of delivery is a Diversification with variety of study methods is available to satisfy students' needs and interest :
1) traditional classroom leaching
1) e-learning,
2) long distance learning,
3) flexible learning,
4) open learning,
5) cross border learning and
6) Mixed learning.

Tertiary Education 高等教育 At tertiary education level, institutions of higher learning offer courses leading to the awards of certificate, diploma, first degree and higher degree qualifications (at academic and professional fields). The duration of study for a basic bachelor degree programme is 3 years and the courses of study at this level are provided by both the public and private education sectors, attracting many international students.

Tertiary education providers consist of two major groups:

Two major categories of Higher education providers in Malaysia
Public	Private
(Government)	(Commercial Groups)
Public (government-funded) institutions of higher learning, for example, public universities, polytechnics, community colleges and teacher training institutes.	Private (private-funded) higher educational institutions (PHEIs), for example, private universities, private university colleges, foreign branch campus universities and private colleges.
• Public Higher Educational Institutions, which consist of: - Public universities - Polytechnics - Community colleges	Private Higher Educational Institutions, which consist of: - Private universities and universities colleges - Foreign branch campus universities - Private colleges
(A) Public Higber Educational Institutions The government-funded (public) higher educational institutions consist of: > public universities which offer bachelor's degree and postgraduate programmes, with some offering programmes at diploma level > polytechnics and community colleges which offer certificate and diploma level programmes

 

Education is a priority of the Federal Government of Malaysia and it is committed to provide quality education to all. The 9th Malaysian Plan (9MP) from 2006 to 2010 has placed great importance on education, training and lifelong learning. In line with greater focus on human development under 9MF3 a total of RM40.3 billion (about 21% of the total budget allocation) has been allocated for the expenditure of education and training development.
Generally, the national education system is divided into pre-tertiary and tertiary education. There are two governing authorities for the education sector. Pre-tertiary education (i.e. from pre-school to secondary education and teacher education) is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education (MOE) while tertiary or higher education is the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE).
Under the national education system, a child begins his/her education with pre-school education at the age of four and will be admitted into the first year of the 6-year compulsory primary education when the child reaches the age of six on the first day of January of the current school year. The government provides 11 years of free primary and secondary education.
Upon successful completion of 11 years of free education, further education is no longer automatic but is subject to the individual's academic performance and financial capability. These upper school graduates (i.e.SPM leavers) can opt to continue their education in post-secondary schools to obtain a pre-university qualification (such as the Sixth Form or Matriculation programme, GCE'A7 levels) or further their education at tertiary or higher institutions.

Higher Education includes certificate, diploma, and undergraduate as well as postgraduate studies. Undergraduate studies consist of Bachelor's degree levels and professional studies while postgraduate studies consist of Master's degrees and PhD levels. Generally, higher education at the diploma level is for secondary school certificate (SPM) holders from the age of 1 7 onwards and the Bachelor's degree is for students from the age of 1 9 onwards with post-secondary qualifications such as STPM (which is equivalent to the GCE A ‘Level) or pre-university qualifications.

The national philosophy of education states that "Education in Malaysia is an ongoing effort towards further developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonious, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God". It is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, possess high moral standards, and are responsible and capable of achieving a high level of personal well-being as well as to contribute to the betterment of the family, society and nation at large.

The Malaysian National Education System comprises of the following levels of education:

Pre-school / Kindergarten education for children aged 4 to 6

Primary education from age 7 to 1 2 (Standard 1 to Standard 6 for 6 years)

Secondary education from age 13 to 17 (Form 1 to Form 5 for 5 years) 1) Lower secondary from age 13 to 15 (Form 1 to Form 3 for 3 years) 2) Upper secondary from age 16 to 17 (Form 4 to Form 5 for 2 years) with the option to choose either: a) Academic secondary education b) or Technical/Vocational secondary education c) or Religious secondary education

Post-secondary education / Pre-university from age 18 (for 1 to 2 years) either Form Six (for 1.5 years) or Matriculation (for 1 year)

Tertiary / Higher education a) Certificate and Diploma Education at Polytechnics / Colleges from age 18 onwards b) Education at Teacher Training Institutes from age 18 onwards c) Undergraduate studies from age 19 or 20 (for 3 to 5 years) d) Postgraduate studies [Master's Degree or Ph.D studies, after acquiring a Bachelor's degree] (for 1 to 5 years)

 

In the Malaysian education structure, there are six categories of educational institutions which are governed by two Ministries, namely:
At Pre-tertiary Level
(The governing authority of pre-tertiary schools is the Ministry of Education)
(a) Government and Private Sector Kindergartens follow the National Pre-school Curriculum
(b) Government Schools follow the Malaysian National Curriculum & National Examination
(c) Government-aided Schools follow the Malaysian National Curriculum & National Examination
(d) Private Schools follow the Malaysian National . Curriculum & National Examination

(e) Foreign System Schools i.e. international schools and expatriate schools International schools follow an international curriculum and use English as its medium of instruction while expatriate schools follow the national educational system of other countries using the respective national language of these countries as the medium of instruction. These schools are not bound by the Education Act 1996 but are under the supervision of the Ministry of Education