MALAYSIA

GEOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND OF MALAYSIA

LOCATION

Malaysia is located in Southeast Asia. There are two distinct parts to this country being peninsular Malaysia to the west and east Malaysia to the east.

Peninsular Malaysia is located south of Thailand, north of Singapore and east of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. East Malaysia is located on the island of Borneo and shares borders with Brunei and Indonesia.

LAND AREA AND ITS POPULATION

The total land area of the country is 329,750 squared kilometers and the total population of the country is 29,745,856.

LANGUAGES

The official language of the country is Bahasa Malaysia. The other languages are English, Chinese ( Cantonese, mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow) Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai and in east Malaysia there are several indigenous languages; most widely spoken are Iban and Kadazan.

TYPE OF GOVERNMENT

The type of government in Malaysia is constitutional monarchy. It is headed by a ruler which is commonly referred to as the King. All the peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers commonly referred to as sultans. And the other two states in Malaysia have governors appointed by the government.

RELIGION

Islam is the dominant religion in Malaysia. And it is recognized as the state religion of the country.

Muslim- 60.4%

Buddhist- 19.2%

Christian- 9.1%

Hindu- 6.3%

Chinese religion- 2.6%

Other religion- 1.5%

No religion- 0.8

CURRENCY

The Malaysia’s official currency is the Malaysian Ringgit. In symbol, RM. 1 ringgit is equivalent to 13.64 pesos in the Philippines.

TOURIST SPOTS IN MALAYSIA

Mount Kinabalu—it is the highest mountain in Malaysia. It is located in sabah. The mountain is known worldwide for its tremendous botanical and biological species biodiversity. Over 600 species of ferns, 326 species of birds, and 100 mammalian species have been identified at Mount Kinabalu and its surrounding. The main peak of the mountain can be climbed easily by a person with a good physical condition, and requires no mountaineering equipment although climbers must be accompanied by guides at all times.

Pulau Tioman-- Tioman is a small island located off the east coast of peninsular Malaysia. Tourists have surged to the island ever since, seeking a taste of paradises. The island is surrounded by numerous white coral reefs, making it a haven for scuba divers while the interior is densely forested.

Mulu Caves—located at East malyasia and it is considered as the largest caves in the world. It forms a major tourist attraction.

Petronas Twin Towers-- The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur were the world’s tallest buildings before being surpassed in 2004 by Taipei 101. However, the towers are still the tallest twin buildings in the world. The 88-floor towers are constructed largely of reinforced concrete, with a steel and glass facade designed to resemble motifs found in Islamic art, a reflection of Malaysia’s Muslim religion. The Petronas Twin Towers feature a sky bridge between the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors.

Batu Caves-- Being on top of the hill is 15 km from the northern part of Kuala Lumpur, is an attraction for the tourists who are very famous in Selangor. Batu Caves consists of three big caves, including cave contained a major Hindu temple is decorated with delicate carvings. One interesting experience at Batu Caves is to climb 272 steps leading to the main cave.

Legoland-- is a theme park that has opened in Nusajaya, Johor, Malaysia on September 15, 2012 with over 40 interactive rides, shows and attractions. It is the firstLegoland theme park in Asia upon its establishment. The official opening of Legoland Malaysia was made by Sultan Ibrahim Ismail, Sultan of Johor on September 22, 2012.[2] It is the centrepiece of a 5,500,000 sq ft (510,000 m2) integrated complex in the Nusa Cemerlang industrial park, within the Iskandar Malaysia economic region, consisting of a lifestyle retail centre, offices, hotels, service apartments and residential units.

THE EDUCATION SYSTEM OF MALAYSIA

1. EARLY EDUCATIONPrior to British colonization, education was informal and limited to acquiring skills

vital for survival, like fishing and farming for boys, and cookery and weaving for girls. If a student wanted to go any further, he would devote his time as an apprentice, live with a guru and learn various skills from the latter.

A more advanced type of education during that period came in the form of the pondok or hut schools and education there was based on Islamic studies. Students would study the Quran under the tutelage of a Haji or Khatib, in a hut set up by the scholar, either at his home, a surau or mosque. 2. EDUCATION DURING BRITISH COLONIZATION

2.1 British Policy On EducationDuring the British occupation of Malaya, there was no clear policy on education.

The British were contented to let the various types of schools, which were already in existence, carry on with their activities. In following through with their divide and rule policy, the British did not intend to establish rapport between the different races in Malaya through a standardized education system.

2.2 Vernacular SchoolsHence, the various vernacular schools those were present and catered to only a

particular ethnic group were run by missionaries, rubber and coffee plantation owners, and local residents' association. The British felt that it was enough for each ethnic group to be educated in their own language and learn to accept their roles in life. That meant that the British were to govern, the Malays to cultivate the fields, the Chinese were to run the mining industry and Businesses, while the Indians would be confined to plantations and estates.

There were four types of school during British colonization. They were the Englishmedium, Malay-medium, Chinese-medium and Tamil-medium schools. Each used different mediums of instruction and provided a different syllabus.

3. EDUCATION DURING THE SECOND WORLD WARDuring the Japanese occupation of Malaya in the Second World War, education

was used as a tool for propaganda to inculcate love and loyalty for the Japanese emperor. The English and Mandarin languages were banned in schools. Many pondok schools and Chinese vernacular schools in Johor were closed down. At the same time,

several Malay schools in Kedah and Chinese vernacular schools in Sarawak were reopened by the Japanese and used to spread propaganda. In fact, almost all secondary schools in Kedah were used as army operation centres by the Japanese. Many school hostels were used to hold Malayan citizens detained by the Japanese army.

The Japanese language, Nippon-Go, became the official medium of instruction for all subjects in schools, be they Malay, Chinese or Tamil schools. The language was also taught by teachers, who in turn had to attend Japanese language courses conducted by Japanese officials once a week.

It was compulsory for students to sing the Japanese national song each morning before classes began to demonstrate their love for the Japanese emperor.

4. EDUCATION AFTER WORLD WAR TWO4.1 Towards A National Education System

After World War Two, the education system in Malaya was pretty much in shambles, and until Malaya achieved her independence in 1957, much had to be done to map out a new education system for the nation.

In 1949, a Central Advisory Committee on Education was set up to aid the government in deciding on the best form of education system, which could be implemented in Malaya, to be the catalyst in fostering national unity.

1950, the Barnes Committee came out with the Barnes Report, which proposed that all primary vernacular schools maintain one single standard and become national schools using the same syllabus but bilingual languages, which were Malay and English. Secondary schools, however, had to maintain English as their mode of instruction.

One year later in 1951, there was the Fenn-Wu Report, which whole-heartedly supported the formation of a national education system, but felt that the Chinese-medium schools should be maintained. Their argument was that the country could still achieve unity although there was diversity in the medium of instruction.

It was only in 1952 that the Education Ordinance was passed, based on the Barnes Report. This did not garner good response from the Chinese and Indians, who protested the abolition of their mother tongues as one of the mediums of instruction. Due to the failing economy and shortage of trained teachers for the national schools, however, the Education Ordinance of 1952 was not fully implemented.

Three years later in 1955, another committee was formed, this time chaired by Dato' Abdul Razak Hussein and it was given the task of reviewing the education system of Malaya.

The committee received 151 memorandums from individuals, public bodies and Associations. After much deliberation, the Razak Committee proposed, one year later, the following:• The education system should comprise two types of primary school – standard primary schools that use Malay as their medium of instruction, and standard-type primary schools that use either Kuo-Yu or Tamil or English as the medium of instruction. Both these schools, however, would rely on a common syllabus.• Both types of primary school should enforce Malay as a compulsory subject.

• All National Secondary Schools should use a common syllabus and examination and enforce Malay and English as their compulsory subjects.• All teachers, regardless of which school they would eventually teach at, should betrained with a common syllabus in teachers' training colleges.

In 1960, the Rahman Talib review committee was commissioned to study the Razak Report, with the aim of strengthening its implementation and emphasizing the use of Malay as the medium of instruction. The Rahman Talib Report became the basis for theEducation Act 1961, which was subsequently passed by the Parliament.

4.2 Implementation of the National Education SystemAfter the Education Act was passed and implementation of the National

Education System began, it was evident that teachers needed to be trained to teach Malay, which had become the national language of Malaya. Hence, teachers' training colleges began mushrooming throughout the country. One of them was the Language Institute, which was temporarily located in Johor in 1958 and eventually moved to Kuala Lumpur one year later. Day Training Colleges also began to take form in the country from 1957 onwards, to meet the needs of primary schools with various mediums of instruction. Textbooks that were used in standard-type primary schools were similar to the syllabus of those used in Standard Primary Schools. Subjects in school comprised history, culture and geography of Malaya. Gone were the days when students of a particular ethnic group studied subjects pertaining to their motherland.

In 1956, the Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka was established and given the task of providing school textbooks in Malay. It also functioned to develop the language further by publishing books and dictionaries, coming out with scientific terms and producing translated materials from other language versions.

The Progress Of The Implementation Of Malay As The Medium Of InstructionFrom 1957 To 1983

Progress1957 Malay language was made compulsory in all government-aided primary and secondary schools1958 Introduction of Malay-medium classes attached to selected English medium secondary schools1963 Establishment of the first Malay-medium fully-residential secondary school, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Alam Shah1968 First batch of Malay-medium students graduated from the University of Malaya

1968 Malay-medium classes introduced at secondary vocational schools1968 Conversion from English to Malay as the medium of instruction for Standard 1 to III in national-type (English) primary schools1973 All subjects in the Arts stream, from Form 1, in national-type secondary schools were taught in Malay1975 The conversion programme from English to Malay as the medium of instruction in all national-type (English) schools was completed1980 University first-year Arts courses were conducted in Malay1982 Conversion program from English to Malay as the medium of instruction in national-type (English) secondary schools was completed1983 All university courses in arts, science, engineering, medicine and etc, were conducted in Malay

(Source: Malaysian Development Experience, Changes & Challenges, INTAN, KualaLumpur. 1994)

With the National Education System, the government used education as a tool to build the nation and foster unity through a common syllabus and curriculum. This could be further achieved with a single national language as the main medium of instruction in schools and university, and by providing teachers with a standardized form of training in teachers' training colleges.

In 1989, the National Philosophy of Education was released and is as follows:"Education in Malaysia is an on-going 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. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards, and who are responsible and capable of achieving high level of personal well-being as well as being able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society and the nation at large."

Educational System Of Malaysia (at present )

Education in Malaysia is overseen by two government ministries. The Ministry of Education (Kementerian Pelajaran) handles matters pertaining to pre-school, primary

school, secondary school and post-secondary school. Matters regarding tertiary education are dealt with by the Ministry of Higher Education (Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi). Although education is the responsibility of the federal government, each state has an Education Department to coordinate educational matters in its territory. The main legislation governing education is the Education Act of 1996.

Education may be obtained from the multilingual public school systems, which provide free education for all Malaysians, or private schools, or through homeschooling. By law, primary education is compulsory. As in many Asia-Pacific countries such as the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Japan, standardized tests are a common feature. Currently, there are 37 private universities, 20 private university colleges, 7 foreign university branch campuses and 414 private colleges in Malaysia. 

The school year is divided into two semesters. The first begins in the beginning of January and ends in June; the second begins in July and ends in December.

Level/Grade Typical age

Preschool

Pre-school playgroup 3–4

Kindergarten 4–6

Primary school

Standard 1 7

Standard 2 8

Standard 3 9

Standard 4 10

Standard 5 11

Standard 6 12

Secondary school

Form 1 13

Form 2 14

Form 3 15

Form 4 16

Form 5 17

Form 6 18-19 (Available in some schools)

Post-secondary education

Tertiary education (College or University)

Ages vary(usually four years,referred to as Freshman,Sophomore, Junior and Senior years)

Types of Schools

Local Schools

National Schools

Chinese National Schools

Tamil National Schools

Private Schools

NCOPS/NCOSS Private Schools

Chinese Independence School(For Secondary)

International Schools

Canadian/British International Schools

USA International Schools

Homeschooling

AOP USA

Preschool education

There are no fixed rules on when a child needs to start preschool education but majority would start when the child turns 5 years old. Schooling can begin earlier, from 3-6, in kindergarten. Preschool education usually lasts for 2 years, before they proceed to primary school at age 7. There is no formal preschool curriculum except a formal mandatory training and certification for principals and teachers before they may operate a preschool. The training covers lessons on child psychology, teaching methodologies, and other related curricula on childcare and development.

Preschool education is mainly provided by private for-profit preschools, though some are run by the government or religious groups. Some primary schools have attached preschool sections. Attendance in a preschool programmed is not universal; while people living in urban areas are generally able to send their children to private kindergartens, few do in rural areas. Registered preschools are subjected to zoning regulations and must comply with other regulations such as health screening and fire hazard assessment. Many preschools are located in high density residential areas, where normal residential units compliant to regulations are converted into the schools.

Primary education

Primary education in Malaysia begins at age seven and lasts for six years, referred to as Year (Tahun) 1 to 6 (also known as Standard (Darjah) 1 to 6). Year 1 to Year 3 are classified as Level One (Tahap Satu) while Year 4 to Year 6 are considered as Level Two (Tahap Dua). Students are promoted to the next year regardless of their academic performance.

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.

Before progressing to secondary education, Year 6 pupils sit for the Primary School Achievement Test (Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah, UPSR). The subjects tested are Malay comprehension, written Malay, English, Science and Mathematics. In addition to the five subjects, Chinese comprehension and written Chinese are compulsory in Chinese schools, while Tamil comprehension and written Tamil are compulsory in Tamil schools.

School types and medium of instruction

Public primary schools are divided into two categories based on the medium of instruction:

Malay -medium National Schools (Sekolah Kebangsaan, SK)

Non-Malay-medium National-type Schools (Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan, SJK), also known as "vernacular schools",further divided into

National-type School (Chinese) (Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina), SJK(C)), Mandarin-medium and simplified Chinese writing

National-type School (Tamil) (Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil), SJK (T)), Tamil-medium

All schools admit students regardless of racial and language background.

Malay and English are compulsory subjects in all schools. All schools use the same syllabus for non-language subjects regardless of the medium of instruction. The teaching of the Chinese language is compulsory in SJK(C), and Tamil language is compulsory in SJK (T). Additionally, a National School must provide the teaching of Chinese or Tamil language, as well as indigenous languages wherever practical, if the parents of at least 15 pupils in the school request that the particular language to be taught.

In January 2003, a mixed medium of instruction was introduced so that students would learn Science and Mathematics in English. Due to pressure from the Chinese community, SJK(C) teaches Science and Mathematics in both English and Chinese. However, the government reversed the policy of teaching Science and Mathematics in English in July 2009, and previous languages of instruction will be reintroduced in stages from 2012.

By degree of government funding, National Schools are government-owned and operated, while National-type Schools are mostly government-aided, though some are government-owned. In government-aided National-type Schools, the government is responsible for funding the school operations, teachers’ training and salary, and setting the school curriculum, while the school buildings and assets belong to the local ethnic communities, which elect a board of directors for each school to safeguard the school properties. Between 1995 and 2000, the Seventh Malaysia Plan allocation for primary education development allocated 96.5% to National Schools which had 75% of total enrollment. Chinese National-type Schools (21% enrollment) received 2.4% of the allocation while Tamil National-type Schools (3.6% enrollment) received 1% of the allocation.Previously, there were also other types of National-type Schools. The English National-type Schools were assimilated to become National Schools as a result of decolonization. Others, such as those for the Punjabi language were closed due to the dwindling number of students. The role of promoting the Punjabi language and culture is currently fulfilled by Gurdwaras (Sikh temples) based organizations.

The division of public education at the primary level into National and National-type Schools has been criticised for allegedly creatingracial polarisation at an early age.[9] To address the problem, attempts have been made to establish Sekolah Wawasan ("vision schools"). Under the concept, three schools (typically one SK, one SJK(C) and one SJK(T)) would share the same school compound and facilities while maintaining

different school administrations, ostensibly to encourage closer interaction. However, this was met with objections from most of the Chinese and Indian communities as they believe this will restrict the use of their mother tongue in schools.

Secondary education

Chio Min Secondary School, Kulim, Kedah.

Public secondary education in Malaysia is provided by National Secondary Schools (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan, SMK). National Secondary Schools use Malay as the main medium of instruction. English is a compulsory subject in all schools. Since 2003, Science and Mathematics had been taught in English; however in 2009 the government decided to revert to using Malay starting in 2012. As in primary schools, a National Secondary School must provide teaching of Chinese and Tamil languages, as well as indigenous languages wherever practical, on request of parents of at least 15 pupils in the school. Inaddition, foreign languages such as Arabic, Japanese, German or French may be taught at certain schools.

Secondary education lasts for five years, referred to as Form (Tingkatan) 1 to 5. Forms 1 to Form 3 are known as Lower Secondary (Menengah Rendah), while Form 4 and 5 are known as Upper Secondary (Menengah Atas). Most students who had completed primary education are admitted to Form 1. Students from national-type primary schools have the additional requirement to obtain a minimum C grade for the Malay subjects in UPSR, failing which they will have to attend a year-long transition class, commonly called "Remove" (Kelas/Tingkatan Peralihan), before proceeding to Form 1. As in primary schools, students are promoted to the next year regardless of their academic performance.

Co-curricular activities are compulsory at the secondary level, where all students must participate in at least 2 activities for most states, and 3 activities for the Sarawak region. 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.

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 PMR results and choice, they will be streamed into either the Science stream or Arts stream starting in Form 4. 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 the British 'O' Levels examination. Although not part of their final certificates, the 'O' Level grade is included on their results slip.

Subsets of the public secondary schools are known as National-type Secondary Schools (Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan, SMJK). At Malayan Independence (1957), it was decided that secondary education would be provided in Malay-medium National Secondary Schools and English-medium National-type Secondary Schools. Fee paying, English-medium schools owned and administered by missionaries/religious bodies were offered government aid provided that they adopted the national curriculum. Secondary schools using other languages as medium of instruction, most of them Chinese schools were offered government aid on the condition that they convert into English-medium schools. In the 1970s, as the government began to abolish English-medium education in public schools, all National-type Secondary School were gradually converted into Malay-medium schools. The term "National-type Secondary School" is not present in the Education Act of 1996, which blurred the distinction between SMK and SMJK. However, Chinese educational groups are unwelcoming of the new development and continue to push for the distinction to be made between the 78 formerly Chinese-medium schools and other secondary schools. The schools continue to have "SMJK" on the school signboards and boards of directors continue to manage the school properties, as opposed to schools that are directly managed by the government.

Other types of government or government-aided secondary schools include Religious Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Agama), Technical Schools (Sekolah Menengah Teknik), Residential Schools and MARA Junior Science College (Maktab Rendah Sains MARA).

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, Year/Standard 1 through 6. These schools are either full-time day or boarding schools ('asrama penuh'). Examples of these schools are 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 Malay elites but have since expanded as schools for nurturing Malays who are outstanding academically or those displaying talents in sports and leadership. The schools are modeled after British Boarding School.

Post-secondary education

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 Malaysian Examinations Council. 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. However, unlike STPM, the matriculation certificate is only valid for universities in Malaysia. This matriculation 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 has come under some criticism as it is the public opinion that this programme is easier than the sixth form programme leading to the STPM and serves to help Bumiputeras enter public universities easily. Having been introduced after the abolishment of a racial-quota-based admission into universities, the

matriculation programme continues the role of its predecessor, albeit in modified form.The matriculation programme adopts a semester basis examination (two semesters in a year) whilst STPM involves only one final examination, covering all one and a half years' syllabus in one go.

The Centre for Foundation Studies in Science, University of Malaya, offers two 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 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 education

Examination performance letter of the STPM examination

Tertiary education is heavily subsidised by the government. Before the introduction of the matriculation system, students aiming to enter public universities had to complete an additional 18 months of secondary schooling in Form Six and sit the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia, STPM); equivalent to the British Advanced or 'A' levels. Since the introduction of the matriculation programme as an

alternative to STPM in 1999, students who completed the 12-month programme in matriculation colleges (kolej matrikulasi in Malay) can enroll in local universities. However, in the matriculation system, only 10% of the places are open to non-Bumiputra students. 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 organized 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.

There are a number of public universities established in Malaysia. 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 option of enrolling in private tertiary institutions after secondary studies. Private universities are also gaining a reputation for international quality education and students from all over the world attend these universities. Many of these institutions offer courses in cooperation with a foreign institute or university, especially in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, allowing students to spend a portion of their course duration abroad as well as getting overseas qualifications. One such example is SEGi University College which partnered with University of Abertay Dundee.[16] 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 of them are branch campuses of these foreign institutions. In addition, four reputable international universities have set up their branch campuses in Malaysia since 1998. A branch campus can be seen as an ‘offshore campus’ of the foreign university, which offers the same courses and awards as the main campus. Both local and international students can acquire these identical foreign qualifications in Malaysia at a lower fee. The foreign university branch campuses in Malaysia are:

Monash University Malaysia Campus

Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus

Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus

University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus

University of Reading Malaysia .

Others are

SAE Institute , Australia

Raffles Design Institute , Singapore

Postgraduate programmed

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.

Polytechnics

Polytechnics in Malaysia provide courses for Advanced Diploma, Diploma and Special Skills Certificate.

The following is a list of the polytechnics in Malaysia in order of establishment:-

Official Name in Malay

Acronym Foundation Type Location

Politeknik Ungku Omar

PUO 1969

Premier Polytechnic (University Status)

Ipoh, Perak

Politeknik Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah

POLISAS 1976Conventional Polytechnic

Kuantan, Pahang

Politeknik Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah

POLIMAS 1984Conventional Polytechnic

Jitra, Kedah

Politeknik Kota PKB 1985 Conventional Ketereh, Kelantan

Official Name in Malay

Acronym Foundation Type Location

Bharu Polytechnic

Politeknik Kuching Sarawak

PKS 1987Conventional Polytechnic

Kuching, Sarawak

Politeknik Port Dickson

PPD 1990Conventional Polytechnic

Si Rusa, Negeri Sembilan

Politeknik Kota Kinabalu

PKK 1996Conventional Polytechnic

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Politeknik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah

PSA 1997

Premier Polytechnic (University Status)

Shah Alam, Selangor

Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan

PIS 1998

Premier Polytechnic (University Status)

Pasir Gudang, Johor

Politeknik Seberang Perai

PSP 1998Conventional Polytechnic

Permatang Pauh,Pulau Pinang

Politeknik Melaka PMK 1999Conventional Polytechnic

Melaka

Politeknik Kuala Terengganu

PKKT 1999Conventional Polytechnic

Kuala Terengganu,Terengganu

Politeknik Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin

PSMZA 2001Conventional Polytechnic

Dungun, Terengganu

Politeknik Merlimau

PMM 2002Conventional Polytechnic

Merlimau, Melaka

Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah

PSAS 2002Conventional Polytechnic

Behrang, Perak

Politeknik Tuanku Sultanah Bahiyah

PTSB 2002Conventional Polytechnic

Kulim, Kedah

Politeknik Sultan Idris Shah

PSIS 2003Conventional Polytechnic

Sungai Air Tawar,Selangor

Politeknik Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin

PTSS 2003Conventional Polytechnic

Arau, Perlis

Politeknik Muadzam Shah

PMS 2003Conventional Polytechnic

Muadzam Shah,Pahang

Politeknik Mukah Sarawak

PMU 2004Conventional Polytechnic

Mukah, Sarawak

Official Name in Malay

Acronym Foundation Type Location

Politeknik Balik Pulau

PBU 2007Conventional Polytechnic

Balik Pulau, Pulau Pinang

Politeknik Jeli PJK 2007Conventional Polytechnic

Jeli, Kelantan

Politeknik Nilai PNS 2007Conventional Polytechnic

Negeri Sembilan

Politeknik Banting PBS 2007Conventional Polytechnic

Kuala Langat,Selangor

Politeknik Mersing PMJ 2008Conventional Polytechnic

Mersing, Johor

Politeknik Hulu Terengganu

PHT 2008Conventional Polytechnic

Kuala Berang,Terengganu

Politeknik Sandakan

PSS 2009Conventional Polytechnic

Sandakan, Sabah

Politeknik METrO Kuala Lumpur

PMKL 2011METrO Polytechnic

Kuala Lumpur

Politeknik METrO Kuantan

PMKU 2011METrO Polytechnic

Kuantan, Pahang

Politeknik METrO Johor Bahru

PMJB 2011METrO Polytechnic

Johor Bahru, Johor

Politeknik METrO Betong

TBD 2012METrO Polytechnic

Kuching, Sarawak

Politeknik METrO Tasek Gelugur

TBD 2012METrO Polytechnic

Butterworth, Pulau Pinang

Politeknik Pagoh TBD 2013Conventional Polytechnic

Muar, Johor

System Aspirations

There are five outcomes that this Blueprint aspires to for the Malaysian education system as a whole: access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency (Exhibit 7). These outcomes are in line with the aspirations articulated by participants during the National Dialogue, and are comparable to outcomes set by other high-performing education systems. Action across all five areas is important, and no initiative in one area should detract from or undermine progress in another.

▪▪ Access: Every child in Malaysia deserves equal access to an education that will enable that child to achieve his or her potential. The Ministry thus aspires to ensure universal access and full enrolment of all children from preschool through to upper secondary school level (Form 5) by 2020.

▪▪ Quality: All children will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education that is uniquely Malaysian and comparable to the best international systems. The aspiration is for Malaysia to be in the top third of countries in terms of performance in international assessments, as measured by outcomes in TIMSS and PISA, within 15 years. (TIMSS and PISA currently test for literacy, Mathematics, and Science only. Additional assessments that address other dimensions of quality that are relevant to the Malaysian context may be included as they are developed and become accepted international standards).

▪▪ Equity: Top-performing school systems deliver the best possible education for every child, regardless of geography, gender, or socioeconomic background. The Ministry aspires to halve the currenturban-rural, socio-economic, and gender achievement gaps by2020.

▪▪ Unity: As students spend over a quarter of their time in school from the ages of 7 t0 17, schools are in a key position to foster unity. Through interacting with individuals from a range of socioeconomic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds—and learning to understand, accept and embrace differences—a shared set of experiences and aspirations for Malaysia’s future can be built. The Ministry aspires to create a system where students have opportunities to build these shared experiences and aspirations that form the foundation for unity.

▪▪ Efficiency: The Malaysian education system has always been well-funded, yet improvements in student outcomes have not always matched the resources channeled into the system. While the Government will maintain current levels of investment, the aspiration is to further maximize student outcomes within the current budget levels.

Eleven shifts to transform the system

Over the course of the past year, the Ministry has sought input from a broad range of stakeholders, from educationists and academics to parents and students, on what would be required to deliver on the aspirations identified above. Given the volume of input, there was a surprisingly high degree of consensus on some topics such as the importance of raising the quality of teachers. There were also topics, such as the future of language education, where there were mixed responses. Collectively, these shifts address every stakeholder and the main concerns of the public. The Ministry hopes that this inclusiveness will provide the basis for a common focus that can be embraced by all Malaysians.

Shift 1: Provide equal access to quality education of an international standard.Launch new Secondary School Standard Curriculum or Kurikulum Standard

Sekolah Menengah (KSSM) and revised Primary School Standard Curriculum or Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah (KSSR) in 2017. The school curriculum at both primary and secondary levels will be revised to embed a balanced set of knowledge and skills such as creative thinking, innovation, problem solving, and leadership. This curriculum will still stress student centered and differentiated teaching, but have a greater emphasis on problem-based and project-based work, a streamlined set of subjects or themes, and formative assessments. The new curriculum will also support an accelerated learning pathway for high-performing students to complete SPM in four rather than five years, and UPSR in five rather than six years. Additionally, clear learning standards will be laid out so that students and parents understand the progress expected within each year of schooling.

Shift 2: Ensure every child is proficient in Bahasa Malaysia and English languageIntroduce a standard Bahasa Malaysia curriculum at the primary level, with

intensive remedial support for struggling students. Every primary school student, regardless of whether they are in a National or National-type school, will use a standard Bahasa Malaysia curriculum starting from the Year 4 cohort in 2014. At National type schools, students who are struggling to cope with this change will receive remedial after-school Bahasa Malaysia classes from Years 4 to 6 (after the completion of the Literacy and Numeracy Screening (LINUS) 2.0 programme). The objective is to intervene early and often to allow for the removal of the “Remove” or Peralihan class from 2017 onwards.

Shift 3: Develop values-driven MalaysiansDevelop students holistically by reinforcing the requirement for every

student to participate in 1 Sport, 1 Club, and 1 Uniformed Body. Co-curricular involvement provides students with opportunities to develop their individual talents and interests outside of a formal classroom setting. Such activities also provide excellent leadership opportunities for students. Every child will therefore still be expected to

participate in at least 1 sport, 1 club, and 1 uniformed body. The Ministry will also look into making participation a requirement for graduation and scholarships for further education. To improve the quality of activities offered at each school, the Ministry will provide targeted training to teachers who act as advisors for these different activities, and partner with more community organizations and the private sector in the delivery of these programmes.

Shift 4: Transform teaching into the profession of choiceFocus teachers on their core function of teaching from 2013. Teachers will

enjoy a reduced administrative burden, so that they can focus the majority of their time on their core function of teaching. This will be achieved by streamlining and simplifying existing data collection and management processes. Some administrative functions will also be moved to a centralized service centre or to a dedicated administrative teacher at the school level.

Shift 5: Ensure high-performing school leaders in every schoolCompetency-based selection criteria and enhanced succession planning

processes for principals from 2013. New Principal Career Package rolled-out in waves from 2013, with greater support (for example via coaches,on-boarding programmers), greater operational flexibility for school improvement, curriculum and co curricular planning, and sharper accountability for improving student outcomes.

Shift 6: Empower JPNs, PPDs, and schools to customise solutions based on needAccelerate school improvement through systematic, districtled programmes in all

states by 2014 Allow greater schoolbased management and autonomy, including greater operational flexibility over budget allocation and curriculum implementation, starting with the best performing and most improved schools.

Shift 7: Leverage ICT to scale up quality learning across MalaysiaProvide internet access and virtual learning environment via 1BestariNet for all

10,000 schools by 2013. Augment online best practices content starting with a video library of best teachers delivering lessons in critical subjects in 2013Maximize use of ICT for distance and self paced learning to expand capacity and allow for more customized learning

Shift 8: Transform Ministry delivery capabilities and capacityStrengthen leadership Capabilities in pivotal 150-200 leadership roles from 2013

Strengthen key central functions and rationalize structure of Ministry from 2016

Shift 9: Partner with parents, community, and private sector at scaleEquip every parent to support their child's learning via a parent engagement

toolkit and online access to their child's in school progress (SAPS system)Invite every PIBG to provide input on contextualization of curriculum and teacher quality from 2016. Expand Trust School model to 500 schools by 2025 by including alumni groups and NGOs as potential sponsors

Shift 10: Maximize student outcomes for every ringgitLink every programme to clear student outcomes and annually rationalize

programmed that have low impact; align to government’s overall shift towards outcome-based budgeting. Capture efficiency opportunities, with funding reallocated to the most critical areas such as teacher training and up skilling

Shift 11: Increase transparency for direct public accountabilityPublish an annual public report on progress against Blueprint targets and

initiatives, starting for the year 2013Conduct comprehensive stocktakes in 2015, 2020 and 2025 to ensure Blueprint remains relevant by incorporating stakeholder feedback and accounting for an ever evolving external environment

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMOF

MALAYSIA

MARY JANE DIZON

MARY JOYCE GUMASING

MARVIN DEL ROSARIO

(BSED MT 4-1)