The Chinese education option is now a popular choice of many Malaysian parents. A heritage of the Chinese communities in Malaysia, these schools today retain the cultural heritage and Confucianism teachings on education.
More non-Chinese parents are sending their children to Chinese schools, be it Vernacular or Independent. This surge in interest and enrollment can be attributed to the usage of Mandarin where parents are inclined to have their children master a language that is the lingua franca of the future.Also, the academic focused approach to education in Chinese Schools provides parents an alternative to the National type schools in the country.The state of Kelantan is proof of this new wave; more than 50 percent of the student population in Chinese Schools is non-Chinese. This peculiar wave is not just exclusive to Kelantan alone; many schools are now reporting a larger number non-Chinese applications for enrollment and some schools just can't cope with the demand.