Private School vs Public School in Malaysia – Which is better?
One age-old question we keep hearing about is if private schools are actually better than public schools. Both have benefits, of course, but how do you actually decide which one to enroll your child in?
It should be easy, right? But since Malaysia has so many types of schools (public, private, international, etc.), picking one is a lot more complicated than we thought.
That brings us right here! In this article, we’re helping fellow parents decide whether to send their children to public or private school.
Let’s discuss these distinctions and see how these two stack up!
Is private school better than public school in Malaysia?
Private schools provide a better academic experience than public schools in Malaysia because they usually have better infrastructure, smaller class sizes, and a more diverse environment.
But why, exactly?
What are the differences between private school and public school?
Private and public schools, despite providing the same education, still have stark differences. These dissimilarities are probably the main factors why parents prefer one over the other.
We’ll discuss the reasons below so you can see how they compare!
Curriculum
In Malaysia, both private and public schools follow the National Curriculum. But the difference is private schools don’t exactly have to follow the strict guidelines of the government.
The private education system is only partly controlled by the government, which means there’s more freedom with the subjects, school programmes, and extracurricular activities.
In addition, other private schools follow an international curriculum. International schools in Malaysia widely use the American, British, and Canadian curricula.
Furthermore, following an international curriculum means students have a higher chance of being accepted into universities overseas. This also allows the students to apply the English language more, which also gives them an advantage in the global setting.
Meanwhile, the curriculum in public schools is not as comprehensive because they follow the government, given that they are fully funded by it.
And since public schools generally don’t have updated facilities and technology, they don’t have the freedom of private schools when it comes to applying some of their subjects and extracurricular activities.
Basically, if the parent prefers a more extensive use of the curriculum or the international curriculum, they can opt for a private or international school.
Facilities and Resources
One of the benefits of private schools is they usually have better infrastructure because they’re not strictly funded by the government, unlike public schools, which are fully funded by it. But that doesn’t mean that public schools don’t have decent facilities.
However, some public schools in Malaysia still struggle with challenges regarding the condition of their facilities. There are still dilapidated schools in the country, particularly in rural areas.
Unfortunately, schools in the rural parts of Malaysia lack better infrastructure and suffer from the need for upgrades for a more conducive learning environment. Limited online connectivity also affects students when it comes to research and e-learning.
Although the Ministry of Education (MOE) has made a significant improvement in tackling this issue, there are still many public schools affected by poor facilities.
In contrast, private schools get their funding from the private sector. That means the school board decides how to allocate their finances since they’re pretty much independent.
Their funding can come solely from tuition or via additional resources like fundraising. Hence, private schools tend to provide better classrooms, laboratories, sports facilities, libraries, and technology to students.
Class Sizes
Another advantage of private schools is they tend to have a low student-to-teacher ratio, usually with an average class size of 25. But some schools will only have 10 to 15 students per class.
Small class sizes promote more individualized learning. Students will get more attention from the teacher, which can also result in increased participation during the classes.
Additionally, teachers can observe the whole class and each student, which enables them to attend to the needs of each individual.
Therefore, they can provide better one-on-one guidance to each child, especially if the students are having trouble with certain subjects or lessons.
Plus, smaller classes allow the teachers to manage the class better. That means they can catch disruptive behaviour as early as possible.
It also encourages participation in class, which allows the students to voice out their opinions and share ideas that can develop their critical thinking skills. Beyond those, it also promotes more interactive learning.
Another advantage of smaller class sizes is there’s a better sense of community in the classroom. Since there aren’t a lot of students in each class, they can connect more with each other and develop friendships—and possibly meet lifelong friends.
Meanwhile, public schools have an average class size of 31, but it can go higher in some areas. As a result, students cannot get the same amount of attention from the teacher, and big classes can get noisier, which can lead to problems with focusing in class.
Each individual also has a different learning style, and students in large classes cannot guarantee that they can get one-on-one time with the teacher and receive feedback.
Extracurricular Activities
Even though public and private schools in Malaysia follow the same curriculum, the latter can provide a wider range of activities.
Private schools can offer electives for primary and secondary school other than the usual ones. Some provide performing arts, visual arts, technological programs, and out-of-classroom activities.
In addition, some schools teach other foreign languages besides English, which gives students an advantage once they graduate.
Students also get to participate in various physical activities, especially if the school has complete sports facilities.
On the other hand, public schools will strictly follow the National Curriculum. This goes back to the lack of complete and upgraded infrastructure because students in some public schools won’t have access to some electives or extracurricular activities.
Teachers
Teachers in public schools in Malaysia pretty much devote their whole lives to teaching, unlike in private schools, where there are many foreign teachers who stay only for a couple of years.
Private schools also tend to hire foreign nationals because of the need to teach other languages. Also, the qualifications of a teacher in these schools vary depending on the institution—some will require certifications, while some will not.
But in public schools in Malaysia, teachers are armed with certification from the state and expertise in the subjects they teach.
The requirements vary for every state but may include the Program Persediaan Ijazah Sarjana Muda Perguruan (PPISMP), Program Ijazah Sarjana Muda Perguruan (PISMP), or a bachelor’s degree.
Both education systems have high-quality teachers, but the challenges lie in the previous issues we discussed, such as lack of facilities, large class sizes, and lack of funding. These obstacles can greatly affect the learning environment.
Despite these hurdles, teachers in public schools are still very experienced and qualified. After all, Malaysia has a strict process for teachers to get certified.
Cost
Private and public schools have a huge gap when it comes to school fees. It’s because public schools get support from the government, so they can provide free education to Malaysians.
With free education, public schools are ideal for low and middle-income families because they greatly remove the financial burden. Parents will only need to pay for school supplies, uniforms, transportation, and other miscellaneous expenses.
Note that non-Malaysians can still enroll in public schools but will need to pay tuition fees and obtain a foreign student pass.
On the contrary, private schools are not free, even for Malaysian citizens. Tuition fees range from RM10,000 to RM48,000 and increase the higher the grade level—international schools will typically cost more.
On top of the tuition fees, parents need to pay for books, supplies, uniforms, transportation, boarding, and others. Thus, low-income families will find it difficult to enroll their children in private schools because of all the added costs.
But for middle-income families, private schools are the more affordable option compared to international schools.
Diverse Environment
Malaysia is a diverse country—you’ll find individuals practicing different cultures and religions here. But it’s not exactly the same for its schools.
In public schools, you’ll find the population is mostly comprised of Malaysians, mainly because it provides free education to citizens. On the other hand, private schools tend to have a more diverse community because expats enroll their children here.
Most expats prefer private or international schools because of the curriculum. For instance, if you visit an international school using a British curriculum, you’ll find a lot of British students.
Another key advantage of a diverse environment is the opportunity for students to practice speaking in other languages, which can help them become bilingual or multilingual.
They can immerse themselves in languages other than English and Malay, which then fosters better linguistic skills that can be an advantage in English-speaking universities.
Admission Process
There’s actually a huge difference in the admissions process between public and private schools. Public schools admit students who reside in the same geographical zone—basically, a child cannot enroll in a school that’s out of state.
On the other hand, private schools aren’t required to do that because the admission requirements are controlled by the school. Some even offer boarding programmes to remove daily transportation from the student’s schedule.