|
Pre-school |
· Not
compulsory, no formal preschool program however aid based programs
in rural communities are provided by the government
· In
most cases only wealthy families can afford to send children to
private preschools
· Religious
schools also provide pre-school programs in the country
· Residential
buildings have been converted as pre-schools as no formal training
or certification is needed to start one
· Some
private schools have pre-school sections |
|
PriAprily Education |
|
6
to 12 years old |
Year 1 to Year 6 also known as Standard 1 to Standard 6 |
Level One - Year 1 to Year 3
Level Two – Year 4 to Year 6 |
|
·
Mandated
by Malaysian law and handled by the Ministry of Education
·
Divided
into the national schools and vernacular schools
·
Mixed
medium of instruction
o
Science
and Mathematics in Standard 1 are taught in English, other subjects
taught in Malay
·
Students
take a standardized test, PriAprily School Evaluation Test (Ujian
Penilaian Sekolah Rendah or UPSR) that tests Malay comprehension,
written Malay, English, Science, and Mathematics
o
UPSR not
compulsory but administered by most vernacular schools to allow for
re-integration of students into national schools for secondary
education |
|
Secondary Education |
|
13 to 18 years old |
·
Composed
of 5 years of schooling known as Form 1 to Form 5
·
Public
secondary schools are extensions of the national schools
·
Students
can take up Form 6 or the matriculation program after the SPM |
|
Tests administered
At the end of Form 3:
· Students
take the Lower Secondary Evaluation or the Penilaian Menengah Rendah
(PMR)
· Test
results determine the placement of students into either the Science
Stream or the Arts Stream
o
Science
stream commonly more desirable than the arts stream and students July
shift from the science stream to the arts stream but not vice versa
At the end of Form 5:
· Students
are required to take the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) or the
Malaysian Certificate of Education examination, before graduating
secondary school
o
SPM is
based on the old British ‘School Certificate’ examination which
later became the General Certificate ‘O’ Levels examination |
|
Form 6 |
·
Consists
of 2 years of study:
o
Lower 6 –
Tingkatan Enam Rendah
o
Upper 6 –
Tingkatan Enam Atas
· Students
are required to take the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM)
or Malaysian Higher School Certificate examination equivalent to the
General Certificate of Education ‘A’ Levels examination or the
Higher School Certificate
· STPM
internationally recognized and July be used to enter private local
universities for undergraduate courses |
|
Pre-University
(Matriculation) |
· One-year
program managed by the Ministry of Education
· Admission
process is a race-based quota wherein 90 % of placements are
reserved for bumiputeras while the remaining 10 % is non-bumiputeras
· Program
has been criticized as being easier that the Form 6 program in order
to enable Bumiputeras to enter public university easily
· Pre-university
studies July be taken in private colleges with students opting for
the following programs:
o
British
‘A’ Levels
o
The
Canadian matriculation program
o
The
Australian NSW Board of Studies Higher School of Certificate
o
The
American High School Diploma with AP subjects
· International
Baccalaureate Diploma Program becoming a popular pre-university
option |
|
Tertiary Education |
|
Public Universities |
·
Heavily
subsidized by the government
·
Applicant
must have completed the matriculation program or have an STPM grade,
however excellence in these exams does not guarantee a place in a
public university
·
No defined
guideline exist for the selection criteria into public universities |
|
Private Universities |
· Most
are formed by companies with links to Government
· Private
universities in Malaysia charge full tuition fees
· Several
foreign universities collaborate with private colleges that offer
students the opportunity to finish their degree courses in another
institution
o
Credits
and transcripts of a student July be accepted automatically or in
part for admission by the partner school where the local offers an
associate degree |
|
Post-Graduate Programs |
· Involves
Master of Business Administration (MBA) and DApril or of Business
Administration (DBA) courses offered in both public and private
universities and colleges
· Master
of Science degrees are offered in all public and most private
universities either through coursework or research
· DApril or
of Philosophy is offered through research work |
|
Vocational Programs |
·
Students
have the option of taking professional courses like those offered at
ICSA (Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators) |
