Educational Research and Information

The Educational Research Co-ordinating Committee (ERCC) was established on April 1992 as an extension of the Educational Research Advisory Committee. The former was set up to include more participating members from various divisional heads and extending roles (not only advisory capacity but also providing funding and co-ordinating the area of studies). The latter was confined to a more advisory role (especially the viability of the intended research) and the members were limited to research professionals from universities and divisions.

ERCC was given special funding from the Sixth Malaysian Plan under the category 03800–Research and Development. As such, ERCC had an added responsibility to select and approve funding for research proposed by various divisions of the Ministry of Education. Membership was upgraded and extended to all divisional heads with the Director-General of Education as the chairman. Research were no longer confined to academic and theoretical perspectives but rather for having impact on educational policies.

Membership to ERCC was again extended to all new divisions created under the restructuring scheme in the Ministry of Education and State Education Departments in the ERCC meeting in July 1996. This decision was in line with the call of Director-General in the Second Malaysian Educational Research Council meeting in NPC to make research as part of the culture of the teaching profession.

The Seventh Malaysian Plan did not include funding for any educational research activity, thus ERCC no longer has the capacity to allocate financial assistance to its members with regard to research activity. However, this is a positive phenomenon as research activities can be funded under every educational agency’s management budget. Thus, there is an acknowledgment that research is an essential element in continuous improvement of professional practices at all levels in the Ministry of Education.

ERCC plays its role in accordance to the following objectives:

determine, in terms of priority, topic and areas of studies to be in line and relevant to current educational needs and issues;

distribute financial assistance for educational research activities from local and international funding;

review and inspect from time to time the development of educational research in the country and disseminate educational research findings to educational policy-makers and practitioners;

receive final research reports and determine the suitable platform for presentation of findings to the relevant bodies such as the Central Curriculum Committee or any high level educational decision-making bodies;

disseminate findings and recommendations to relevant educational agencies such as State Education Departments, District Education Departments and schools through seminars, workshops and proceedings.

The Policy Research Unit of Educational Planning And Research Division (EPRD) has the responsibility of handling matters relating to the management of ERCC. During the period 1992-97, ERCC received funding from the Sixth Malaysian Plan to finance research activities carried out by agencies in the Ministry of Education according to the following breakdown:

Technical education is offered in secondary technical schools. The technical stream provides students with a general academic education although with a strong foundation in technical and science subjects, to enable them to pursue higher education in the technical field or to seek employment. Technical schools aim at:

providing basic technical education to enable students to further their education in polytechnics and universities;

providing scientific and technical education to students who have the aptitude for such subjects and to foster and maintain that interest;

raising the level and standard of skilled manpower to meet the industrial needs of the country.


Like other academic schools during the implementation of the ISSC at the upper secondary level in 1992, all the students in technical secondary schools are required to follow the same core subjects. On average, the total teaching time per week is twenty-eight hours (1,680 minutes) consisting of forty-two teaching periods of forty minutes each.

Vocational education in secondary technical schools provides students with basic skills for employment. The approach towards vocational education is general in nature, with the intention of providing basic knowledge and skills so that the students are adaptable, flexible, and trainable for the work world. The objectives of vocational education are to:

provide technical manpower for the industrial and commercial sectors;

provide a flexible and broad-based curriculum to meet not only immediate but also future needs and changes in industries;

provide the foundation for skill and knowledge on which to build subsequent education and training.

The vocational education stream focuses on academic and technical subjects leading to the Malaysian Certificate of Education-Vocational (MCEV), whereby students may seek to study in the polytechnics and other higher education institutions. They may also opt for the job market. Skills training education offered in secondary technical schools also emphasizes practical work to develop competency in trade skills required by related industries. Students are prepared for the National Vocational Training Certificate.

Besides providing vocational education and training to students in the formal education system–in the context of continuing education–technical schools also offer special part-time courses for Malaysian Certificate of Education holders wishing to pursue skills in these areas. In 2000, the total student enrolment in secondary technical schools was about 59,000––of whom 50% were in vocational and 10% in the skills training stream.

To enhance quality vocational education and training relevant to the job market demand, the private sector is encouraged to participate in vocational education programmes. Several firms have assisted the Ministry of Education in organizing training programmes to bring the vocational knowledge and skills closer to the world of work. The private sector enterprises are encouraged to provide greater on-the-job training with market-oriented industrial training programmes and to strengthen the labour market information system. This in turn would allow for greater mobility of labour.