What are the differences between SMK, SMJK, Chinese Independent School, international schools, and private schools?

Parents often ask me, where is the best middle school to attend? First of all, you need to know that Malaysian secondary schools are generally divided into 4 types:

1. Public school (SMK, SMJK)

2. Chinese Independent School

3. International schools

4. Private schools

5. Learning centers (not schools)

What's the difference between them? What are their advantages and shortcomings?

Public school (SMK, SMJK)

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) and Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan (SMJK) are both government schools, and their curriculum adopts the Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Menengah (KSSM).

Differences:

SMJK: Chinese language is a compulsory subject for students, and the students come from Chinese primary schools. The medium of instruction is Malay, English and Mandarin.

SMK: Students can choose whether to take Chinese classes and sit for Chinese language exams. Students come from Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK), Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (SJK) - SJK(Cina) and SJK(Tamil). The medium of instruction is mainly Malay and some schools use English as well.

Dual Language Programme (DLP):

In 2016, the government promoted the use of English in teaching mathematics and science, but so far only a limited number of schools and also a few classes are under this programme due to a shortage of teachers trained in English.

Course Outline:

Many of us think that Western education is better. KSSM has improved a lot in recent years, not only adding many higher-order thinking concepts but also adopting technology and vivid teaching methods. However, due to limited funds and too many students, the software and hardware facilities are certainly not as good as those of private schools.

Advantages:

Low cost: No school fee, and you can also get loan textbooks. Workbooks and SPM exam fees are much cheaper than international schools.

More choices for further studies: In addition to the national universities run by the government that will give priority to STPM candidates (after passing the SPM, students have to spend one and a half years and sit for STPM), local private and foreign universities also recognize SPM results. Needless to say, tuition fees at national universities are the cheapest because they receive government subsidies and can also apply for scholarships or student loans (PTPTN). According to my experience, compared with private universities, their scholarship applications have a higher chance of success, and most students can obtain student loans. If your child can enter a national university, you do not need to spend a penny at all, because the loan is enough to cover not only the tuition fee but living expenses too (if the student does not spend much).

Professional teachers: Every teacher in a government school must undergo a five-year teacher training course and obtain a bachelor's degree in teaching; and must participate in professional training classes every year. Compared with private schools, government schools have stricter requirements for recruiting teachers. They must obtain a Bachelor's degree in teaching, unlike private schools which only require a minimum degree of Diploma in education or relevant fields.

Early integration into a multiracial society: Since national schools do not select students anyone can attend. Therefore, SMK students are exposed to wider society and people from different races and social backgrounds. Parents may be worried that their children will mix with bad people, but let them join the real Malaysian society as early as possible, make friends with other ethnic groups, get to know rich and poor students, students with strong and poor learning abilities, and learn tolerance, courtesy, and being careful is not necessarily a bad thing.

Government benefits: vaccines, health examinations, student financial aid, scholarships, etc. will be given priority to students in government schools.

Shortcomings:

Large class size: Usually 40-50 students in a class, and now there is no more grouping of students based on their abilities. So, it is difficult for teachers to take into account the learning progress of each student, especially students who learn slowly or whose Malay language is weak, so most of the SMK students join tuition.

Lack of hardware and software facilities as compared to International and private schools.

Chinese Independent School

Since Chinese is not the official language of Malaysia, all Chinese secondary schools were restructured into national secondary schools (SMJK) after Malaysia's independence. Those that did not accept the restructuring were called Chinese Independent Secondary Schools.

The medium of instruction is Chinese, and the curriculum syllabus adopts the unified independent middle school curriculum, which is decided by Dong Zong.

Advantages:

Good discipline: Chinese Independent Schools pay more attention to students' discipline and performance. Generally speaking, their discipline is better than that of other schools.

Good self-management skills: They have heavy coursework and many extracurricular activities, so the schools provide life coaching classes, and the tutors will help to strengthen students’ self-management and time allocation.

Maintaining Chinese characteristics and traditional Chinese culture: Chinese Independent Schools spread Chinese culture and strive to promote the wisdom of the ancients.

Faster graduation: Compared with the 6 and a half years of junior high school (SPM 5 years, STPM 1 and a half years), Chinese Independent Schools students can pass the UEC examination (equivalent to A Level) in 6 years and enter university.

Shortcomings:

School fee: It varies from school to school, usually less than RM10k per year. If you live far away, a boarding house fee is required. In addition, students also need to regularly raise funds to maintain and develop software and hardware facilities.

Further education: There is no problem with studying at local private and foreign universities such as Taiwan, China, the United Kingdom, and Australia. However, the UEC examination is not recognized by the Malaysian government. If students plan to enter a national university, they must take the SPM exam at the same time.

Professional qualifications: In Malaysia, some professional qualifications such as doctors, veterinarians, and lawyers require SPM qualifications.

Weak in Malay: In an environment dominated by Chinese, their Malay is usually relatively weak. You must know that in Malaysia, some professional qualifications such as doctors and lawyers require at least credit in SPM Malay. In Malaysia, being able to communicate in Malay can save a lot of unnecessary trouble. After all, Malays account for more than 60% of the population.

High pressure: Chinese Independent Schools have heavy coursework and many extracurricular activities. Besides, the school hours are long. Some students who live far away take 1-2 hours to go back and forth every day. Some students even attend tuition classes to catch up with school progress. Those with poor grades have to stay back in the same class for a year. Not every student can bear this kind of pressure.

Large class size: Usually 40-50 students in a class, which is similar to SMK.

International schools

The curriculum is based on the British or American curriculum (IGCSE/IB), and the medium of instruction is English. School hours are also longer than SMK, usually from 8 a.m. to 2-3 p.m.

It should be noted that some schools that are located at shop lots, claim to be international, but are learning centers. If you want to know whether they have an international school license, you can check on the official government website.

Advantages:

Small class size: There are usually around 20 people in a class, and students are divided into groups for more efficient teaching and learning.

Good facilities: Due to the high school fees, the software and hardware facilities are better than other schools.

Promote holistic education: Foreign teaching methods encourage students to improve important soft skills such as communication, investigation, problem-solving abilities, teamwork, creative thinking and initiative.

Focus on balanced academic, physical and mental development: Performing arts such as music, dance and drama, as well as extracurricular activities and sports are generally valued and included in the main curriculum.

Good English proficiency: Some international schools have teachers and students from native English-speaking countries. In an English-dominated environment, their English proficiency is better than that of other schools.

Advantages of studying abroad: If you adapt to foreign teaching methods early and master English well, you will not face too many problems when studying abroad.

Faster graduation: If the grades are good, the school will recommend skipping classes. The original 5-year middle school can be shortened into 4 years or even 3 years for some students.

Shortcomings:

High fees: School fees range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands a year, depending on the school. Moreover, international schools use imported books, which are several times more expensive than local books. In addition to textbooks and workbooks, there are also reference books. The annual book fees and miscellaneous fees cost thousands of ringgit. The examination fee is also several times more expensive than SPM.

High fees for further education: The tuition fees at local private universities range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands per course. If you can't afford it, it is recommended to join a public secondary school and then enter a national university.

Professional qualifications: In Malaysia, some professional qualifications such as doctors, veterinarians, and lawyers require SPM qualifications.

Weak in Malay: Malay language is not an important subject in International schools, so students are usually relatively weak in Malay. You must know that in Malaysia, some professional qualifications such as doctors and lawyers require at least credit in SPM Malay. Besides, being able to communicate in Malay can save a lot of unnecessary trouble. After all, Malays account for more than 60% of the population.

Private Schools

The curriculum is based on the government curriculum (KSSM), the same as SMK, but they teach in English. School hours are longer, just like International schools, usually from 8 a.m. to 2-3 p.m.

Advantages:

Small class size: There are usually around 20 people in a class, and students are divided into groups for more efficient teaching and learning.

Good facilities: Due to the high school fees, the software and hardware facilities are better than public schools.

Focus on balanced academic, physical and mental development: Performing arts such as music, dance and drama, as well as extracurricular activities and sports are generally valued and included in the main curriculum.

Good English proficiency: In an English-dominated environment, their English proficiency is better than that of other schools.

More choices for further studies: In addition to the national universities run by the government that will give priority to STPM candidates (after passing the SPM, students have to spend one and a half years and sit for STPM), local private and foreign universities also recognize SPM results. Needless to say, tuition fees at national universities are the cheapest because they receive government subsidies and students can apply for scholarships or student loans (PTPTN).

Shortcomings:

High school fees: School fees are tens of thousands a year, depending on the school. But compared with international schools, private schools have lower school fees, and cheaper books and miscellaneous fees.

Learning Centres

They are located in shop lots, their name can be XX International/ XX Academy. Number of students range from tens to hundreds. They are not schools, they hold a license as a tuition center/ learning center/ language center. Thus, they are like normal tuition centers, their leaving certificates are not recognized by any institutions. Each center has its own education system, curriculum, and tutor qualifications.

The curriculum is based on the British or American curriculum (IGCSE/IB), and the medium of instruction is English. School hours are longer, just like International schools, usually from 8 a.m. to 2-3 p.m.

Tuition fee: Although it is much cheaper than international/private schools, you get what you pay for, the quality of teachers, software and hardware facilities, and extracurricular activities are far behind international schools. Many parents who choose this type of center are from the middle-income group, so you have to think clearly. In addition to preparing for the tuition fees of tens of thousands per year for the four or five years of secondary school, after they graduate from secondary school, you also have to prepare another tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands for their tertiary education (college/ university).

Tutor qualifications: Varies from center to center. Since they are not controlled under MOE, each center has its standards for recruiting tutors. Therefore, it is necessary to inquire about the tutors' academic background, their teaching experience, the passing rate of the students, etc.

Professional qualifications: In Malaysia, some professional qualifications such as doctors, veterinarians, and lawyers require SPM qualifications.

Weak in Malay: Malay language is not an important subject, so students are usually relatively weak in Malay. You must know that in Malaysia, some professional qualifications such as doctors and lawyers require at least credit in SPM Malay. Besides, being able to communicate in Malay can save a lot of unnecessary trouble. After all, Malays account for more than 60% of the population.

	SMK/SMJK	Chinese Independent School	International School	Private school
Annual tuition fee	Free	< RM10k	RM30k-100k	RM15-80k
Exam	SPM （recognized worldwide）	统考UEC （not recognized by Malaysia government）	IGCSE/IB （recognized worldwide）	SPM （recognized worldwide）
Curriculum	KSSM	Unified Curriculum	UK/US	KSSM
Overseen by	Ministry of Education (MOE)	Dong Zong	Private Education Division  （MOE）	Private Education Division  （MOE）
Medium of instruction	Malay/English	Chinese	English	English
Minimum qualification of teachers	Degree in education	Diploma in education/ relevant field	Diploma in education/ relevant field	Diploma in education/ relevant field
Professional training	Yearly	Not fixed	Not fixed	Not fixed
Government benefits	Given priority	Will be considered	Will be considered	Will be considered
Cultural exposure	Diverse background and races	Majority Chinese	Majority wealthy group	Majority wealthy group
Class size	Large (40-50 students)	Large (40-50 students)	Smaller (15-30 students)	Smaller (15-30 students)