EDUCATION IN MALAYSIAEDUCATION IN MALAYSIAComparative Education 2015

Land area: 126,853 sq mi (328,549 sq km); 

Total area: 127,316 sq mi (329,750 sq km)

Population : 30.8 M

Main Language : Malay and English

State Religion : Muslim

Literacy rate : 94.68% (2013)

% with Secondary or Higher Qualifications: 68.28% (among resident non-students aged 15 yrs & over) (2010)

Divided into three stages. Medium junior secondary education lasts 3 years, at the end of which pupils take the UPSR or junior secondary school test.

Secondary education lasts for 6-7 years, referred to as Form 1 to 6 or Form 1 to Matriculation college.

Two years of senior secondary education. At the end of senior secondary school, pupils take the SPM or Open Certification Examination (Malaysian Certificate of Education).

National Type Chinese/Tamil School pupils attend an additional year at a ‘remove class’ before entering Malaysian medium junior secondary school.

Another 2 years of (pre-university) secondary education at a Sixth Form College (2 years) or a Matriculation College (1) year.

The STPM and Matriculation Certificate grant access to a university programme.

The UCE generally grants access to foreign university programmes.

Polytechnics and community colleges are supervised by the Ministry of Higher Education. The entry requirement of these two types of institutions are the SPM and the SPMV.

Programmes at universities and university colleges lead to bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and PhDs, and also the non-degree Diploma.

Polytechnics and community colleges both offer technical and professional programmes leading to a Diploma or a Certificate

The Ministry of Education (MOE) or the Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia) is a Government ministry responsible for Malaysian educational matters in the basic education years.

Ministry of Higher Education reponsible for monitoring and centralizing the higher education institution or universities and also the Polythenic Universities through the Department of Polythechnic Education.

Malaysian Qualifications Register responsible for keeping a list and registering schools, universities both academic and polythenic.

MARA or The Council of Trust for the Indigenous People. The MARA Business Institute and the MARA Infotech Academy offer higher education programmes. Also, it awards the national Certificate and Diploma qualifications, taking 2 and 3 years to complete, respectively.

Students’ interest and initiative Difficulty level of English as second language Qualifications of teachers: Lack of competent

experts Education Reforms / Educational Management Internationalization: Lack of exposures and

resources to embrace “education without borders

Research and Development: Lack of high impact research

Racial quotas

Students academic freedomEducation for AllEntrance examinations implementationStandardized testsFinancial Subsidy and Assistance Plan of the governmentNational Education

Basic Reading & Writing Classroom Intervention Program (KIA2M)National PolicyEducation Development Master Plan (EDMP) 2006-2010Education and Vision 2020Malaysian Education Blueprint (Pioneering)

QUICK FACTS 2014, Educational Planning and Research Division MINISTRY OF EDUCATION MALAYSIA, 2014DEVELOPEMT OF EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN MALAYSIA, Mcelley Lorience Aileen Asim, 2011The Malaysian education system described and compared with the Dutch system, EP-Nuffic | 1st edition November 2008 | version 4, January 2015 Higher Education in Malaysia: Current issues, Challenges and Hopes, Rafidah Aga Mohd Jaladin et. al., 2010Preliminary Report Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013, Ministry of Educationcountrymeterinfo.com