Education System of Malaysia

Education System of Malaysia

An Overview
Education is the responsibility of the Government and it is committed to providing a sound education to all. The Malaysian education system encompasses education beginning from pre-school to university. Pre-tertiary education (pre-school to secondary education) is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education (MOE) while tertiary or higher education is the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE). The vision of the Government is to make Malaysia a centre of educational excellence.

Primary and Secondary Education
Primary education (a period of 6 years) and secondary education (5 years which encompasses 3 years of lower secondary and 2 years of upper secondary) make up 11 years of free education.
The admission age to the first year of primary education is seven. Primary schooling is mandatory for all children between the ages of 7 and 12. Students sit for common public examinations at the end of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary levels.

Post-secondary Education
Upon completion of secondary education, students can opt to pursue 1 to 2 years ofpost-secondary education. This is the university entrance preparatory course. In total, the 12 years of school education serves as the basic entry requirement into Year One of a bachelor’s degree programme in higher educational institutions.

Tertiary Education
At tertiary education level, institutions of higher learning offer courses leading to the awards of certificate, diploma, first degree and higher degree qualifications (at academic and professional fields). The duration of study for a basic bachelor degree programme is 3 years and the courses of study at this level are provided by both the public and private education sectors, attracting many international students.

Tertiary education providers consist of two major groups :
-Public (government-funded) institutions of higher learning, for example, public universities, polytechnics, community colleges and teacher training institutes.
-Private (private-funded) higher educational institutions (PHEIs), for example, private universities, private university colleges, foreign branch campus universities and private colleges.

Government-funded Educational Institutions

The Government provides more than 95% of primary and secondary education as well as about 60% of the tertiary education, with the private sector providing the balance.

Private-funded Educational Institutions

The private education providers in Malaysia can be broadly grouped into 2 categories, depending on the levels of education offered, ranging from pre-school to tertiary education. These two categories of private institutions are :
-Private Educational Institutions (PEIs) which provide education at preschool, primary and secondary levels. They comprise private schools and foreign system schools.
-Private Higher Educational Institutions (PHEIs) which provide tertiary education leading to the awarding of certificate, diploma and degree qualifications.

Latest Malaysia Education

Berita Harian Online
Latest current Malaysia and world education news reports from newspapers in Malaysia - Berita Harian
http://www.bharian.com.my/

theSun
Latest current Malaysia and world education news reports from newspapers in Malaysia - The Sun
http://www.thesundaily.com/

Utusan Malaysia Online - Pendidikan
Latest current Malaysia and world education news reports from newspapers in Malaysia - Utusan Malaysia
http://www.utusan.com.my/

The Star Online: Education
Latest current Malaysia and world education news reports from newspapers in Malaysia - The Star
http://www.thestar.com.my/

Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia
Berita - Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia

Why Study in Malaysia?

Students and their parents have many things to consider when deciding on where and what to study. In choosing Malaysia as a study destination, students benefit from:

• An international standard and high quality education, which is closely monitored by the Malaysian Education Ministries through their quality control authorities and appropriate legislation such as The Education Act, 1996, The Private Higher Educational Institutions Act, 1996 and The Malaysian Qualifications Agency Act 2007.
• Competitive course fees and an extensive selection of popular courses.
• A wide range of study options and universities and colleges to choose from.
• Twinning degrees & 3+0 degree programmes conducted in Malaysia, which offer a cost-effective route for quality education and qualifications from universities in the United Kingdom, USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and France.
• Foreign Branch Campus Universities operating in Malaysia, which enable students to acquire their prestigious university qualifications in a country that has lower living expenses.
• Wide usage of English, which makes living and studying easy for students who are proficient in English while at the same time creating an environment for those who want to pick up the language.
• Life in a multicultural society, where Malaysians of different races and religions live in peace and tolerance with each other.
• The experience gained in providing education to the existing 50,000 international students from more than 100 countries, which testifies to the world-wide acceptance of Malaysia as a favoured destination for further study.
• Hassle-free immigration procedures, which enable foreign students to have easy entry into Malaysian higher educational institutions.
• Affordable living expenses, which can be as low as RM12,000.00 (USD3,750) per year.
• Student-friendly laws, which allow international students to work part-time for a maximum of 20 hours per week, while studying full time in Malaysia (subject to immigration requirements).
• An economically sound and socially safe country, which has a stable government and a low serious crime rate.
• A geographically safe environment, with Malaysia situated in a zone free from most natural disasters.
• A food paradise which has a huge variety of cuisines available including vegetarian, halal, ethnic and western.
• An excellent transportation system, which allows for easy mobility and a huge variety of interesting places to visit for relaxation.
Welcome To Malaysia! - "Selamat Datang Ke Malaysia!"

Malaysia Centre of Educational Excellence

The Malaysian international education sector has grown tremendously during the past decade and Malaysia is fast becoming a centre of educational excellence in the region. Malaysia currently houses more than 50,000 international students from more than 100 countries and it is proud to be the study destination of choice, offering quality international education at an affordable cost. Besides the relatively low cost of education, many choose to study here because they recognise Malaysia as an ideal gateway to develop their Asian network and relationships. They are also able to learn from Malaysian’s great diversity, rapid economic development and peaceful and harmonious multicultural society!

The country is set to welcome 80,000 international students to study in Malaysia by the year 2010. Higher education opportunities in Malaysia are provided by 20 public universities, 24 polytechnics, 37 public community colleges, 33 private universities, 4 foreign university branch campuses and about 500 private colleges. There are also various other higher educational institutions from the UK, US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany and New Zealand which offer twinning and franchised degree programmes through partnerships with Malaysian colleges and universities.

The 38 international schools (American, Australian and Britishstyled) and 12 expatriate schools which include French, German, Japanese and Taiwanese schools have facilities for students from pre-school to upper secondary levels. They provide parents with many options of pre-tertiary international education at affordable fees.

Six Easy Steps to Study in Malaysia

1 The student submits an application form for study, together with the relevant documents to the intended educational institution which has the official approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs (Immigration Department) to recruit international students.

2 The student’s application is accepted by the educational institution, which then helps to apply for a student pass at the Malaysian Immigration Department in Malaysia (except for students from the PRC).

3 Upon acceptance, a letter of approval for the student pass is released by the Malaysian Immigration Department to the educational institution for them to pass on to the student.

4 Before leaving his/her country for Malaysia, the student informs the educational institution of his/her port of entry (airport), flight number, arrival date and time.

5 Upon arrival at the airport in Malaysia, the educational institution’s representative receives the student at the immigration check-point.

6 Within 2 weeks of the student’s arrival, the educational institution submits the student’s passport to the Immigration Department, which attaches the student pass sticker.