The Educational Process

Pre-Primary Education | Primary Education | Secondary Education

Secondary education

Secondary education is basically an extension of the primary level. Education at this level is general in nature and is divided into two cycles: lower (Forms I-III) and upper secondary (Forms IV and V). Pupils from the national primary schools proceed to Form I, while pupils from the Chinese and Tamil schools study one additional year in the transition class before entering Form I. As mentioned, the transition class aims at enabling pupils to acquire sufficient proficiency in Bahasa Melayu, which is the medium of instruction in secondary schools. However, pupils who have performed well in the Primary Assessment Test are allowed to proceed directly to Form I.

Secondary education aims at “[...] further develop the potential of the individual in holistic, balanced and integrated manners, encompassing the intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects in order to create a balanced and harmonious human being with high moral standards.” In order to achieve this aim, education at the secondary level must enable students to:

• increase their language proficiency in order to communicate effectively;
• upgrade their competence in and use of Bahasa Melayu as the official and national language for the acquisition of knowledge and the achievement of national unity;
• develop and enhance their intellectual capacity with respect to rational, critical and creative thinking;
• acquire knowledge and develop mastery skills, and to use them in daily living;
• be able to develop skills to cope with new areas of knowledge and development in technology;
• develop their abilities and faculties for the betterment of themselves and society;
• develop the confidence and the resilience to face challenges in life; develop good manners and practice moral values; strengthen the basic Aqidah (belief in God);
• understand, be aware of and appreciate the history as well as the socio-cultural milieu of their country;
• be aware of the importance of one’s health and to maintain it;
• be sensitive, concerned about and appreciate the environment and its aesthetic value;
• acquire, appreciate and practice accepted moral values; and
• appreciate knowledge and constantly strive towards increasing and developing it.

Students follow a common curriculum which does not neglect the cultural values of the major ethnic groups in the country. This is done through the implementation of the Integrated Secondary School Curriculum (ISSC, popularly known as the KBSM). The ISSC adheres to the following basic principles:

• Continuity of education from primary to secondary schools: the acquisition of basic skills (reading, writing and arithmetic), the provision of basic knowledge and the inculcation of values that will ensure the holistic development of the individual are further developed and reinforced at the secondary school.
• General education for all students: at both the lower and upper secondary levels, students follow a common basic education programme. This programme comprises core subjects that are compulsory for all.
• Subject disciplines: subjects of the former secondary school curriculum are retained but reorganized in line with the emphasis of the ISCC.
• Integration of the intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical aspects: the curriculum in its entirety will fulfill the intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical needs of the students. All subject areas must ensure that these aspects are developed and incorporated.
• Emphasis on values: the inculcation of accepted moral values is made possible by incorporating them in all ISCC subjects through the concept values across the Islamic religious education for Muslims and moral education for non-Muslims.
• Upgraded use of Bahasa Melayu: the use of Bahasa Melayu is to be reinforced in all curricular subjects (except English).
• Lifelong education: the curriculum has to nurture the love for knowledge and to provide opportunities for the acquisition of study skills and for the inculcation of positive attitudes that will motivate students to constantly seek knowledge.

The special one-year programme for pupils from the Chinese and Tamil national-type schools has four main aims: (a) to enable students to master Bahasa Melayu, so that they will be adequately equipped to follow secondary school education; (b) to enable students to communicate effectively in Bahasa Melayu; (c) to nurture the spirit of citizenship among the students; and (d) to inculcate the values of the Malaysian society. In order to achieve these aims, in the transition class the following subjects are taught:

Bahasa Melayu;
English language;
Chinese language;
Tamil language;
Practical use of Bahasa Melayu;
Physical and health education;
Art education.

On completing the three-year lower secondary programme, students sit the Lower Secondary Assessment Examination. The lesson timetables are shown in the tables below:

Transition year (national-type schools, Chinese and Tamil):
Weekly lesson timetable according to the Integrated Curriculum of Primary School revised in 1999

Lower secondary education: weekly lesson timetable

Education at the upper secondary level is offered in academic and technical schools. Technical schools offer technical, vocational and skills-based education. Based on their performance in the lower secondary examination, students are streamed into one of these schools. Education at this level covers a period of two years. Although education at this level comprises academic, technical and vocational tracks, it is considered general education by virtue of the common core subjects taught in all of these schools. On completing two years at this level, pupils in academic and technical tracks sit the Malaysian Certificate of Education (MCE) Examination, while those in vocational tracks sit the Malaysian Certificate of Education (Vocational) Examination. The teacher-pupil ratio at the secondary level was 1:18.9 in 1990 and 1:18.2 in 2000. The enrolment rate was 88.8% in 2000.

The general education curriculum at the upper secondary level allows the students to choose subjects based on their own interests and potential. Elective subjects are classified under four groups: humanities, vocational and technical, science, and Islamic studies. Core subjects taught at the lower secondary level are continued to be taught at the upper secondary level with the exception of geography, art education, and living skills. Chinese and Tamil languages are regarded as additional elective subjects at this level. Geography and art education are taught as electives under the humanities, and the components of living skills are further developed to form a number of elective subjects. However, the choice of electives is subject to certain conditions to ensure that a balance is maintained among the four elective groups. Additionally, choosing one of the subjects under the vocational and technical group is mandatory. With this requirement, students from a purely art-based education are encouraged to take vocational and technological subjects, giving them exposure to technology-based education. On average, the total teaching time per week at the upper secondary level is 25.5 hours (1,600 minutes) consisting of forty teaching periods of forty minutes each. The lists of subjects for the upper secondary level are shown below:

Upper secondary education: lists of teaching subjects and weekly time allocation

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.