A COMPARISION OF MALAYSIAN EDUCATION AND SINGAPORE EDUCATION

SYSTEM
EDUCATION IN MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE
The first key difference is this - In Singapore, all public schools instruct in English.
Interestingly enough, the situation was once the same in Malaysia, beginning from the
time when the colonial British powers introduced English medium schools into Malaysia,
phasing out many Malay medium schools. This lasted until about 1970, when the
Malaysian government began to reverse the process, phasing out English medium schools
and replacing them with KBSM curriculum and Malay medium schools completely by
1983. In 2003, then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad did an about-face, declaring that
science and mathematics would be taught in English, a policy that the government sought
to abolish no less than four years after its inception.
The second key difference is this, the Singaporean system serves high achievers
better. Brand differentiation certainly exists amongst schools in Malaysia; among
public schools, this is judged by schools performance in the SPM examinations, top
performing public schools including the likes of SMK Convent Bukit Nanas, the
MRSM schools, and SMK(P) Sri Aman, which regularly top the SPM ranking tables
in terms of numbers of As and overall achievement.
It is a hasty generalisation to make that Singaporean public school teachers always
serve their students better, but there is evidence that, at the very least, that
Singaporean teachers can serve their very best better, for if there is one thing that
Singapore does that we do not do here in Malaysia, it is to acknowledge talent and
perform by meritocracy.
In Malaysia, the intention is there, but the means of execution typically does not
succeed. After the PMR examinations, students are streamed into the Science and
Arts streams, the consequence of this being that students take a different subject
combination relative to their peers. Too often, the best and brightest are
demarcated simply by the subject combinations that they take and the number of As
they receive, producing batch after batch of students cookie-cutter aligned to a
standard of excellence that bears little relation to the professional world.
However, education is not so homogeneous and one-dimensional. Exceptionally gifted
students in Singapore are given access to the Integrated Programme (IP) after the
PSLE (Singaporean equivalent of UPSR), and students are given access to academic
material beyond the scope of the typical Singaporean curriculum, allowing them to
skip the OLevel examinations and do only the ALevel examinations instead.
Thirdly, Singapore does all of these things more efficiently, and for a cheaper price.
In Singapore, there is choice in terms of school selection if you are part of the elite. A
quick analysis of H2 mathematics papers will show that the syllabus in Singaporean
Junior Colleges covers a scope far wider than that of Malaysias STPM or
Matriculation courses. The top public school in Singapore is widely known as
Raffles Institution, known also as the Gateway to the Ivy League. Similarly famous
competitors such as Hwachong Institution and Victoria Institution follow behind,
catering to local students for a fraction of the price that private institutions in
Malaysia charge. Additionally, foreign universities often stand in apparent
acknowledgement of the dominance of the Singaporean model of education. The

country boasts of the highest per capita Cambridge admit rate in the world, while
the Malaysian school system continues to be left languishing amid discussions
whether English medium science and mathematics education is suitable.
To some extent, while the Singaporean model provides the sort of education that
many Malaysians who frequent this site actively seek for their children, it is not
without its failures, though these failures sound hauntingly familiar to those of us
who have been reading the newspaper as of late. Whereas the Singaporean public
education system is criticised by some academics for excessive emphasis on rote
learning and subsequently producing graduates who lack critical thinking faculties,
employers also often cite the familiar tune that Malaysian graduates are
unemployable for the same reason, with added vitriol in the form of criticism of our
ability to converse in English.
What lessons can we draw from public schools and education policy across the
causeway? Do we prevaricate and pontificate that the Singaporeans are getting a
better public education than us? Yes, they use better English than us, they stream
their students slightly more than us. They consistently perform in the top 5 when it
comes to international education surveys.
Regardless of the semantics, its clear that Malaysia has something to learn from the
Singaporean public education system. Until there is a serious and concerted effort to
work towards improving public education here in Malaysia, private and
international schools here in Malaysia will stand to fill gaps, unlike in Singapore,
where their role is to supplement what already exists.
EDUCATION SYSTEM IN MALAYSIA
Education in Malaysia is the responsibility of the federal government. Primary and
Secondary education in Malaysia comes under the purview of the Ministry of Education
(Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia). Tertiary education comes under the Ministry of
Higher Education (Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi). Primary Education and 5 years of
secondary education in public schools is free for Malaysians.
Preschool Education Most parents send their children to private preschools (registered by
the Ministry of Education) before the age of six. (though not compulsory). There are state
(government) run preschools (by KEMAS) which provide affordable pre-schooling to
those lower income in some states.
Primary education in Malaysia starts at the age of six (child must be over six yrs to be
admitted). Primary education is compulsory and lasts six years. All government or public
schools must admit pupils of Malaysian citizens. Parents are required to register their
children at a local school before they reach this age to be ensured of a place. The medium
of instructions in public schools are Malay or Chinese/Tamil with Malay. English
language is compulsory and Science and Maths are taught in English. Assessment/national
examination at year 6: UPSR (Primary School Performance Examination)

Secondary Education Secondary Government schools are open to all Malaysian citizens.
Secondary schooling normally begins at the age of twelve and is 5 yrs (up to Form 5) or 7
years (up to Form 6). The medium of instructions in public schools is the Malay language.
English language is compulsory with Science and Maths taught in English. Main
assessment of Students nationwide:
Year 3 (Form 3) of Secondary school PMR (Lower Secondary Examination)
Year 5 (Form 5) SPM (Malaysian Certificate of Education)
Year 6 (Form 6) STPM / similar to A Levels Exam
Tertiary Education for many students starts at the age of 18. The Ministry of Higher
Education Malaysia overseas admission to public colleges and universities, and
management of higher education - or polytechnics, community collages, private collages
and private and public universities.
Entrance to university:
The main entrance requirement is the results the CGPA for diploma holders, the
matriculation examination or STPM.
All applicants to public universities are also required to sit for the Malaysian University
English Test (MUET), which stared in 1999, administered by the Malaysian Examination
Council (Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia). Grades (called bands band 1, poor to band 6 high)
of this exam is just to determine the competency of the student in English and whether
they need to take extra English courses. However, entry to public universities is very
competitive and a higher grade is required for entry to professional courses, such as
medicine and pharmacy.
INTRODUCTION
The vision of the Ministry of Education (MOE) is Thinking Schools, Learning Nation. To
prepare a generation of thinking and committed citizens who are capable of contributing
towards Singapores continued growth and prosperity, the Ministry is constantly revisiting its
curriculum to ensure that the skills and knowledge taught in schools meet the challenges of
the 21st century.
2. THE SINGAPORE EDUCATION SYSTEM
The Singapore education system aims to provide students with a holistic and broad-based
education. Given the multi-cultural and multi-racial characteristics of Singapore, the bilingual
policy is a key feature of the Singapore education system. Under the bilingual policy, every
student learns English which is the common working language. Students also learn their
mother tongue language (Chinese, Malay or Tamil), to help them retain their ethnic identity,
culture, heritage and values.
2.1

Holistic Development of Students

The Desired Outcomes of Education (DOE) articulates the importance of holistically

nurturing students to become well-rounded persons - morally, intellectually, physically,
socially and aesthetically through a set of eight core skills and values.
The eight core skills and values are:
1. Character Development
2. Self Management Skills
3. Social and Cooperative Skills
4. Literacy and Numeracy
5. Communication Skills
6. Information Skills
7. Thinking Skills and Creativity
8. Knowledge Application Skills
It is envisioned that students at the end of primary education, secondary education and preuniversity would have acquired these eight core skills and values. (Annex A).
2.2

Broad-based Curriculum

Singapores national curriculum aims to nurture each child to his full potential, to discover his
talents and to develop in him a passion for life-long learning. Students go through a broad
range of experiences to develop the skills and values that they will need for life. The broadbased curriculum imparts literacy, numeracy, bilingualism, the sciences, humanities,
aesthetics, physical education, civics and moral education and National Education.
Over the years, the curriculum has been reviewed to address the need for a common set of
values, knowledge and competencies and at the same time, allow differentiation to meet the
needs of students with different talents and abilities. To enable students to achieve the learning
outcomes of each specific subject and the DOE, three broad areas are considered, namely, the
curriculum, teaching strategies and assessment (Figure 1)
Teaching Strategies
Classroom management, pedagogy,
teaching & learning resources

Content
Aims & objectives,
content, skills &
competencies, values
& attitudes

Students
Learning
Experiences

Figure 1: Students Learning Experiences

Assessment
Formative and summative

The content states the aims and objectives, the content, the skills and competencies required
for the syllabi and the values and attitudes that the syllabi hope to impart to the students.
Appropriate teaching strategies are designed for successful classroom delivery of the syllabi,
using effective teaching and learning materials. To evaluate if students have learned what has
been taught, students are tested through formative and summative assessments.
3.

CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Every child in Singapore has the opportunity to undergo at least ten years of basic education.
This comprises 6 years of compulsory primary education and 4 years of secondary education.
Students have to sit for major national examinations at the end of their primary and secondary
education. Beyond secondary education, students move on to post-secondary institutions
based on their eligibility and choice (Annex B).

3.1

Primary School Curriculum (Annex C)

At the primary level, students go through a six-year course aimed at giving them a good grasp
of the English Language, Mother Tongue Language and Mathematics. In addition, students
learn Science, Social Studies, Civics & Moral Education, Music, Art & Crafts, Health
Education and Physical Education. At the end of Primary 6, students take the Primary School
Leaving Examination (PSLE), which assesses their suitability for secondary education and
places them in the appropriate secondary school course that will match their learning pace,
ability and inclinations.
3.2

Secondary School Curriculum (Annex D)

As MOE focuses on a broad-based education, all students are offered a combination of core
and elective subjects at the secondary level. The core subjects include English Language,
Mother Tongue or Higher Mother Tongue, Mathematics, Combined Humanities, a Science
subject. The choice of electives includes a humanities subject, a science subject and literature
in Chinese. The basket of core subjects ensures that students experience a broad-based and
balanced education while the electives cater to a range of student interests and abilities.
To inculcate a global outlook in students, MOE offers foreign languages in French, German,
and Japanese to students who have the ability and the aptitude. This allows students to tap on
opportunities beyond Singapores shores. This year, MOE has expanded the range of foreign
languages to include Arabic and Bahasa Indonesia. For selected students who do not take
Chinese or Malay as a second language, MOE also provide opportunities for them to offer
these languages though the Chinese or Malay (Special Programme). Going forward, MOE
will provide opportunities for more students to learn conversational Chinese and Malay.
The secondary school curriculum is differentiated according to the abilities and interest of the
students. Students undergo one of four courses designed to match their learning abilities and
interests. The details of the four courses are in Annex E.

4.

LOOKING AHEAD

In order to better prepare students to meet changing national and global needs of the 21 st
century , MOE has embarked on a process to review its curriculum, pedagogies and
assessments.
4.1

Curriculum

Singapores national curriculum will continue to provide students with a strong foundation in
the core areas of literacy, numeracy and scientific literacy as these core areas provide the
foundation for future learning. The study of the humanities will be reinforced as the
humanities have the value in developing students ability to understand and appreciate
different perspectives, as well as nurture cultural sensitivities and civic awareness.
The national curriculum structures will be loosened through curriculum decentralisation to
allow schools to customise their curriculum to meet their students needs. Certain subjects can
be redesigned as a set of learning outcomes to allow schools room to innovate without having
to complete a syllabus. This allows schools greater autonomy and flexibility over curriculum
time allocation. More time will be free up from curriculum for students to develop skills and
attitudes. MOE will allow flexibility of integration of subjects to develop new understanding.
4.2

Pedagogy

A diverse range of pedagogies will continue to be promoted to meet diverse student needs,
enhance their learning experiences and engage them in learning. There are certain pedagogies
such as inquiry-based and experiential learning that will be more actively promoted to enable
students to find deeper meaning in their learning.
MOE will provide support for schools to use a wider variety of pedagogies through pedagogy
packages to support syllabus delivery. Teachers will also be encouraged to share pedagogical
expertise through participation in learning communities. At various MOE and external
platforms, schools efforts and successes in the use of engaging and effective pedagogy will
be showcased.
4.3

Assessment

The national assessment will be retained to maintain standards and for benchmarking
purposes. Assessment modes, formats and items will be reviewed regularly. Greater focus will
be placed on the role of assessment in learning through formative assessment. Teachers
assessment literacy and expertise in the use of assessment strategies will be built up through
the provision of guides and exemplars in curriculum documents and teaching packages.
Assessment items will be situated in authentic contexts and the greater use of alternative
assessment modes to better prepare students to handle complexities and ambiguous problems
that they are likely to face in the future.
4.4

Professional Development of Teachers

Just as the curriculum evolves to include new learnings that students need for the future,
professional development of teachers becomes critical, as teachers have to strive to equip
themselves with the necessary competencies to guide and facilitate students learning. To meet

the needs of distinct groups of students according to their ability and learning styles, teachers
will be equipped with skills of differentiated instruction. Teachers will also continue to
develop their capacity to leverage technology to enhance students learning experiences.
Teachers will also develop their abilities to become reflective practitioners, able to enhance
their teaching through research and using research findings to improve classroom practices.

5.

CONCLUSION

It is important that MOE ensures balance, rigor, relevance and responsiveness of the
curriculum to meet the needs of the 21st century. Teachers should focus on teaching for
enduring understanding and skills. Assessment will have to be contextualized and made more
authentic to equip students with skills and attitudes to face new problems and issues that will
come their way.