The education system in Malaysia is handled by the Ministry of Education and all the matters related to education are handled by this government run organization. While education is a responsibility of the central government, every state in Malaysia has a department of education hierarchy which handles the educational matters within its area or region.
Starting from the bottom where education starts from pre nursery schools, Education in Malaysia goes onto very high levels (tertiary and beyong). To understand the hierarchy of education in Malaysia, you can go through the following given information:
Preschool Education
Every child starts his/her formal education by taking admission to a preschool. The ideal age for sending a child to a preschool or a preschool kindergarten is 3 to 4 years but these days, many parents admit their children at the age of 2+.
Kindergarten Education
The ideal age for kindergarten education is 4-6 years during which the child is completely able to understand and learn. Kindergarten education is associated with the learning of numbers, alphabets, rhymes, colors and other basic learning.
Primary School Education
After obtaining the compulsory kindergarten education, students in Malaysia enter Primary schools at about 7 years of age. Primary school education lasts for about 6 years and by the end of it, the student has turned around 12 years in age.
Secondary school Education
After the completion of primary school education, students enter the phase of secondary school where students are taught little more complex concepts and are in a better state to understand, learn and apply knowledge. The following is the hierarchy within this level.
- Form 1
- Form 2
- Form 3
- Form 4
- Form 5
- Form 6/pre university-this level is available only in a few schools across Malaysia
By the time secondary school education is completed, the student has reached the age of 18/19.
Post-secondary Education
Post-secondary education is the education which is obtained after completing schooling and may vary in age as well as form for different students. While some choose to pursue graduation, others opt for short term diploma or certificate courses.
Post graduate Education
After the completion of bachelor’s education or graduate level studies, is the level of post graduate studies which may result in obtaining of the title of ‘Master’s. The number of years that a post graduate course lasts may vary for different courses. Post-secondary and post graduate education together can be termed as Tertiary education.