Essay on Malaysian Education

Malaysia is a top education destination recognized for its superiority in offering free education on the primary and secondary level. It is the Ministry of Higher Education that supervises tertiary education (Lee, 1999). Students who wish to further their studies at the tertiary level are required to have passed excellently with qualifying academic grades and also be in a position of financing their education. Additionally, post-secondary school scholars with SPM qualifications have the option of obtaining a pre-university qualification such as moving on to the sixth form, enrolling in matriculation programs or enrolling in GCE A levels. Alternatively, they may choose to study for a certificate or diploma at higher educational institutions. The time taken to complete a pre-university program depends on the type of program. In Malaysia, there are about 30 schools and 72 community colleges. The third category is the teacher education Institutes. In this category, there are about 27 Malaysian Institutes of Teacher Education ((In Miwa, et. al, 2015) ).

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Students pursuing higher education have multiple opportunities at their disposal. These opportunities include certificate, diploma, degrees as well as professional qualifications for post-graduates such as Masters and PhDs ((In Miwa, et. al, 2015) ). Higher education at the diploma level is availed for school leavers with a secondary school certificate such while enrolling in degree programs requires one to have post-secondary qualifications such as Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM), General Certificate of Education (GCE) or other equivalent pre-university qualifications. Public as well as private universities and colleges are considerably significant in rendering higher education to both Malaysian and International students. Both institutions avail a whole extensive list of study options that review can take. Ideally, higher educational institutions offer programs that accord scholars the award of certificates, diplomas as well as postgraduates qualifications. Malaysian universities (both public and private), as well as colleges, can be categorized into two broad classifications:

Public higher educational institutions account for about 60 percent of the universities and colleges. They are funded by the federal government. They consist of public universities, polytechnics and community colleges.

Private institutions of higher learning account for about 40% of all the high educational institutions. They are privately funded through the fees paid by the students who enroll in these institutions. They require to be granted a charter or approval by the Ministry of Education for them to be recognized. They include private universities and university colleges, foreign university branch campuses as well as private colleges. They constitute 40%.

The other category is the public Higher Educational Institutions which mainly offer degrees, diplomas, and postgraduate programs. These institutions offer certificates as well as degree level programs. Essentially, p and community colleges also fall into this category.

English is the medium of communication in most of the higher educational institutions. However, most programs in universities and colleges are taught using Bahasa Malaysia. On the other hand, postgraduate studies is taught in English. The Lembaga Peperiksaan (LP) national language, administers several national language tests. As from 2014, the government scrapped away the (Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) as a public examination and it will be replaced with a school-based assessment and PT3 system (Altbach, 1999). The upper secondary school education takes about two years after which students are allowed to sit for national examination taken by all Form 5 students. The exam is equivalent to the IGCSE or O level (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, (SPM). Bahasa Malaysia, English, Islamic Education, moral studies (for non-Muslim students), history mathematics as well as science are a must-do subjects. Other subjects such as arts and health, information and communication technology, languages and literature, technical and vocational studies, science and mathematics, social sciences as well as religion are also offered in universities and colleges. Together with Bahasa Malaysia, it is required that students take history in order to SPM examination. That was in 2013. However, as from 2016, English was made a must-pass subject and students who fail in these tests do not receive a full SPM certificate.

Malaysia is also the home of international students as it warmly welcomes them to pursue education even at higher levels. Right from the 1990s, foreign scholars have been coming to Malaysia with one goal in mind: to pursue tertiary education in one of Malaysian university or colleges. Presently, Malaysia ranks 11th in popularity among the worlds famous international education destinations for higher education (Lee,1999). Ideally, Malaysian higher education levels are divided into pre and post tertiary education levels. Initially, there were two governing authorities: the initial levels before attaining tertiary education sector which was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the higher education sector which was under the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE). However, the two education sectors were combined into one to form a new docket in the Ministry of Education Malaysia in the year 2013. Pre-tertiary MOE is composed of 9 sectors while the higher education phase consists of 9 departments including:

The upper education phase consists of the following departments and regions:

The Department of Higher Education (public higher education management sector and private higher education management sector)

The Department of polytechnics education

The department of community college education

The upper school management sector

The top education development sector

Malaysian Qualifications Agency

National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN)

National Professor Council

Higher Education Leadership Academy

Post-secondary education better known as pre-university commences from age 17+. It takes about one to two years. The higher education has the certificate and diploma education from age 17+onwards, teacher training at Teacher Training Institutes, a bachelors degree from age 18+ or 19+ (3-5 years), postgraduate studies (Masters degree and Ph.D.) which take about five years(In Miwa, et. al, 2015). International and privates universities and colleges set the general entry requirements for primary and secondary education levels being interviews and admission assessments. Undergraduate courses offered by public schools are for Malaysians, but the government has set aside 5% of places for international students to pursue noncritical programs. Scholars wishing to continue with their university, college or post-graduate studies in Universities in Malaysia are required to adhere to the following provisions:

Public university courses Bachelor degree (full-time mode) and postgraduate programs international students have to apply directly to the University of their Choice.

Private colleges require students to apply directly to the desired institutions which must have the approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs Malaysia to enroll international students.

The Malaysian education system is designed in such a manner as to reflect the needs and identity or a multicultural society. Ideally, there are about eight broad categories of educational institutions (which include public-funded institutions as well as private organizations). The higher education level has groups of higher education institutions which include institutions that obtain their funds from the government, polytechnics, community colleges and public colleges. Higher educational institutions which are self-sponsored, on the other hand, include educational institutions which have not attained the university status and may include private colleges, university status institutions such as private universities and university colleges as well as foreign university branch campuses (Lee, 1999).

In Malaysia, there are certain legal and regulatory frameworks that monitor the quality of education in Malaysia. Such frameworks include the Education Act of 1996, the Private higher Educational Institutions Act of 1996, the National Council on Higher Education Institution Act 1996, the Malaysian Qualification Agency Act 2007, the Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Act 1996, the National Higher Education Fund Corporation Act 1997, the MARA Institute of Technology (Amendment) Act 2000, the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (Amendment) Act 2000 as well as the recent private higher Educational Institutions (Amendment) Act 2009. The Education Act formulated in 1996 includes the post-secondary levels of education under are all under the national school system comprising of pre tertiary, primary and secondary school as well as post-secondary education ( ). Students in public school are required to pay tuition fees on their own. However, the costs are highly subsidized by the government while students in private institutions are required to pay full fees. There are many types of financial aid available for Malaysian students who enroll in higher education in the country. These include scholarships and study loans from public and private sectors. The main sponsors of financial aid from the government include the Ministry of Higher Education (Scholarship Division), the federal Higher Education, the Fund (Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional PTPTN), the Ministry of Higher Education, the public services department (JPA) sponsorship program, various state foundations as well as government-linked companies. Nevertheless, the federal government, as well as the non-governmental organizations, also avail funding in the form of scholarships, grants or study loans (A Glance at the Malaysian Education System - StudyMalaysia.com. (n.d.)).

The Ministry of Education offers two types of free post-secondary programs or pre-university courses for students with SPM qualifications which include the sixth form that prepares students for the standard public examination STPM which is equal to general certificate of education levels qualification, or Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM). Induction which is meant to coach students on the programs, procedures and norms of the university or college is usually conducted for one year after which the Ministry of Education awards successful candidates with a registration certificate. The Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF) governs the higher educational institutions in Malaysia. The Malaysian Qualifications Act (MQA), 2007 outlines for the establishment of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), concerned with the formulation of a framework that approves educational programs ( ). Students in Malaysia can choose to study either locally-run programs, academic twinning programs, vocational, technical or skills training. A student can study through traditional classroom learning, e-learning, long distance learning, flexible learning, open learning, cross-border education as well as mixed learning.

The national quality assurance of Malaysia also known as Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) was developed mainly to ensure that all programs and skills offered by higher education provider meet the minimum standard set out by MQA. It was established in was created on 1st November 2007 with an aim of implementing the national framework also known as Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF). Moreover, the department was accrediting through the higher educational programs and requirements, supervise and regulate the quality and standard of higher educ...