There are plenty of options available for parents & students who are looking at secondary education in Malaysia. With a growing education sector, finding the perfect school; whether it be public or private becomes much easier with all the choices available.
More importantly, the right choice of secondary education in malaysia may help pave the path for opening doors & opportunities in tertiary education. With more parents opting to secure their children’s future with universities overseas, getting the right education framework and paper qualifications would be paramount is laying the foundation to a successful life.
Utilizing the National School curriculum, private schools in Malaysia provide the alternate option for parents wanting a Malaysian curriculum without the limitations brought upon by public schools.
Students in Private Schools undergo the same examinations as their Public school counterparts but enjoy the benefits of the private sector with specialized teachers and learning programmes.
With smaller and dedicated classroom ratios and the availability of specialized learning facilities, private schools in malaysia are fast becoming the preferred option for many Malaysian families.
Vernacular Secondary school options exist in the form of some 60 Chinese independent High Schools in Malaysia that are privately funded and retain a significantly Chinese tradition with Mandarin being the main language at school.
Students in Chinese Independent schools study three years in Junior Middle school before another three years in Senior Middle school. Much like their counterparts in public schools, the Chinese Independent Schools in Malaysia provide streaming at senior middle school level.
The streams in which a student can choose include science, arts & commerce and vocational & technical studies. In most schools, the prevalent streaming option is usually science and arts & commerce.
The curriculum used is a combination of curriculums used in China & Taiwan along with the National Curriculum here in Malaysia. While Mandarin is main medium of instruction, Bahasa Malaysia and English are used extensively in the schools.
The standardised test used in these schools is known as the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC). While not recognized as an entry qualification to public universities in Malaysia, the UEC is a legitimate qualification for many universities overseas.
Chinese Independent Schools in Malaysia do provide the option for students to take national exams such as PT3 & SPM alongside the UEC exams or even the IGCSE in some schools in order to provide a greater number of tertiary education options.
The private education sector has been expanding significantly and this is reflected by the number of International Schools in Malaysia.
With multiple curriculums ranging from the International Baccalaureate (IB), the Cambridge International Curriculum, the Ontario Curriculum and etc, the choices in curriculum provide a wide range of diversity for parents & students seeking for the right school & schooling experience in Malaysia.
There are currently 90 over International Schools in Malaysia with a majority of them offering secondary education for Malaysian & International students. The removal of the local student quota means that Malaysian families can now opt to send their children to International Schools without any worry.
While there maybe variations to the education framework with different curriculums operating in the country, the education experience has a clear distinction of a lower & upper secondary school with an standardized examinations taking place in between.
The learning experience in International Schools is one that combined rigorous academic studies coupled with a holistic co-curricular programme that seeks to develop a student beyond the confinements of academic & exams.
Qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate Diploma or the A-Levels acquired at the end of upper secondary are universally accepted in universities around the world along with private universities located in Malaysia.
Q: “Will it be too expensive to send my child to an International School?”
A: While International Schools have a price tag on it, it isn’t necessarily unaffordable so to speak. The growth of the market has made competition necessary and schools offer competitive fees which are much more affordable then it was 4 years ago.
What is important to understand is that the price of an International Education comes with the reassurance of quality and dedication that your child is getting.
Q: “I would want my child to learn and master Bahasa Malaysia/ Mother Tongue, is it possible to do so in International Schools?”
A: The Ministry of Education has made it compulsory for Malaysian studying in International Schools to learn Bahasa Malaysia. The National Language is made part of the curriculum in schools.
The option to learn an additional language is subjected to the availability of teaching staff in International Schools. In most cases, popular languages such as Mandarin, French and Spanish are available as an additional foreign language that your child can learn at the school.
Q: “How would be for my children to adapt in an International School if he has a learning difficulty?”
A: Depending on the level of learning difficulty, some International Schools have dedicated facilities and teaching staff that caters to special education needs of children.
Schools will make it a point during assessment to determine the special needs that a child may require. In most cases, the special care provided will help the child adjust and learn in a safe environment at the school.
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