Education System in

Malaysia

Primary and Secondary Education

Primary education (a period of 6 years) and secondary education (5 years
encompasses 3 years of lower secondary and 2 years of upper secondary)






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.





Tertiary Education


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.



Public Institutions of Higher
Learning
(Government-funded)
Public (government-funded)
institutions of higher learning, for
example :
1) Public universities,
2) Polytechnics,
3) Community colleges,
4) Teacher training institutes.

Private Higher Educational Institutions
(PHEIs)
(Private-funded)
Provide tertiary education leading to the awarding
of certificate, diploma and degree qualifications.
Private higher educational institutions
(PHEIs), for example,
1) Private universities,
2) Private university colleges,
3) Foreign branch campus universities
5) Private colleges.







Private Educational Institutions (PEIs)
Provide education at preschool, primary and secondary levels.
They comprise private schools and foreign system schools in
Malaysia.


Education System of Malaysia

In Malaysia, education is the responsibility of the Government.
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.
Malaysia, unlike Finland and Denmark, has yet to be a high income country to afford free higher education
for its citizens.

Based on per capita income, Malaysia was at RM25,000, compared with Finland at RM138,000 and
Denmark, at RM176,000.

The high income earned by the two countries Finland and Denmark make it possible for them to provide
free higher education

The number of students at institutions of higher learning in Finland and Denmark was also small, about
169,000 and 241,000, respectively, compared with the number of students in Malaysia, at 1.1 million.

The tax rate in Finland was also high, at 6.5 to 30 per cent, and Denmark, at 36.57 to 55.4 per cent, while
in Malaysia, the tax rate was from 0 to 26 per cent.
http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/highlights/215498-private-sector-must-be-included-in-education-review.html



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.

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.

Post-secondary Education
Upon completion of secondary education, students can opt to pursue 1 to 2 years ofpost-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 bachelors degree programme in higher
educational institutions.




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
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
Private Higher Educational Institutions, which consist
of:
- Private universities and universities colleges
- Polytechnics
- Community 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, 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