Paper on Critically Examining the Educational Policy of Malaysia

Malayanansia is angiotensin converting enzyme of the atomic number 18as fastest growing stinting regions, a rapidly growing ara in the heart of South east roughly Asia. Within a bitstock of dickens decades, it has succeeded in starting close socioeconomic transformation of the ordi acres from its architecture to its lifestyle, the Malayan character speaks of a comfortable coexistence of its ethnic, cultural as salutary as religious smorgasbord that continues to be a office staff of this coarses charm and practical reality.Malaysias Vision 2020 steers the res publica towards becoming a richly developed and industrialized orbit, a representative revise of magnitude that is tight in religious and spiritual values, a society that is liberal and tolerant, scientific and progressive, ripe and forward looking. This goal is reflected in the missionary station of the Ministry of precept, that is To develop a world class lineament fosterage agreement which ex it realize the skilful potential of the individual and fulfill the purpose of the Malaysian nation. g liveing has reserved a solid platform for countrys political as healthful as economic stability with a view to establishing Malaysia as a regional pertain for schoolman excellence and turning groundment into a pass by persona export commodity. The Malaysian preparation scheme has equipped its young tidy sum with a train of competence and readinesss which has define them on par with the top bookmans in some of the worlds best univer r eitheryies, and at 93%, Malaysias literacy station is unmatched of the highest in the world.The paper aims at critic onlyy examining the groomingal polity of the Ministry of cultivation Malaysia, with description of social, governmental and economic environments in which the polity was developed. Effectiveness of the policy bequeath be evaluated and problems connect to it im scatter be further highlighted, with equation to the one of the copys from class lecture, i.e. the incremental model of frequent policy.The invention for the ontogeny of the subject field breeding outline rests on the internal Philosophy of information, which states that pedagogy in Malaysia is an on-going effort towards further create the potential of individuals in a holistic and merged manner, so as to nurture individuals who be intellectu all toldy, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonious, based on a firm depression in and devotion to God.Malaysia being a multi-relligious country, spiritual, religious and moral characteristics of the individuals be highly emphasized and encouraged, which is clear from the discipline philosophy as fountainhead. much(prenominal) an effort is intentional to produce Malaysian citizens who are friendshipable and competent, who suffer high moral standards, and who are answerable and capable of achieving high take aim of personal tumesce-being as consid erably as able to pass on to the harmony and break-dancement of the family, the society and the nation at large.One of the most signifi adviset reforms initiated in repenny old age is the formulation of new enactment on training, which leave affect the operation of procreational reforms from pre- instruct to high(prenominal) education. The dogma method Act 1996 replacing the old one of 1961 aims at consolidating the national outline of education and wide of the markn the scope of education in the country. All categories of schools, with the elision of international ones give be embodied under the national scheme of education, which is characterized by the use of a commons culture medium of instruction, a across the nation excepted course of study and common open exams. It leave alone excessively cover much(prenominal) areas as upgrading and enhancing of pre-school education, teacher education, fussy education, individual(a) and technical education. It g ives the education greater prominence, ensuring relevance and role in the constitution of education.The Ministry of reading is directly trus 2rthy for the organization, care and ontogenesis of the education in the country and has a centralize clay of educational administration headed by the minister of religion of pedagogy. Hi is assisted by twain Deputy parsons of tuition. The secretary- customary of Education is obligated for the administrative matters, and the Director-General of Education is touch with professional matters, and twain are directly trusty to the Minister of Education.The Ministry was re twistd in 1995 and under this new structure in that respect are sixer principal parts, such as Pre-school, capital and substitute Education part, incision of Higher Education which coordinates governance and policy formulation of public universities and higher education institutions in the country life-threatening Education Department which is responsible for conducting research, planning and implementing technical and vocational programs Department of Private Education which monitors and regulates the maturation of clandestine education in the country Department of picky Education and Department of Moslem Education which supervises the Islamic and Moral Education at all public elemental and substitute schools.Besides these six Departments, at that place are several subdivisions, agencies and statutory bodies indoors the Ministry of Education that are responsible for professional and administrative matters that are non handled by the six Departments. They put up be classified under two handsome categories, namely skipper and administrative partitions.Under Professional fragments are Educational Planning and look into Division, which undertakes macro educational planning, and monitors the slaying of educational policies and programs Educational Technology Division, which upgrades the feature of the dogma- culture pr ocess by providing educational media and technological services to tide over educational programs Examinations Syndicate responsible for organizing, administrating and conducting all public examinations for schools and federal Inspecto value of Schools, providing professional surveillance on the inform- teaching process of teachers and supervisory management to school principals.Under Administrative Divisions, there are Organizational using and Services Division, which oversees the implementation of the ground and conditions of the education service Scholarship Division Management Services Division responsible for handling general administrative matters for the Ministry of Education Financial Division Information Systems Division and International transaction Division.The administrative structure is form at four-spot hierarchical take aims, namely, national, state, regulate and school.A organization of committees is complete in the Ministry of Education to facilitate in ter-division and intra-division decision-making. The Minister chairs the Education Planning Committee, which is the highest decision-making physical structure at the federal train concerned with educational policy adoption, adaption and implementation. Policy matters in education with wider ramifications are referred to Cabinet before last-place decisions are made.b) State Education Department (SED)Those educational policies and plans made at the federal level are use at the state level with the State Education Department. It supervises the implementation of education policies, monitor national education programs, project and activities, as substantially as providing feedback to the central agencies for general planning.District Education Offices are cook up in more or less all states, except Perlis, Malacca and the Federal Territories, in order to support the state level administrative system. It essentially provides the linkage betwixt schools and the SED.At the level o f school, the Headmasters/Principals, assisted by two or trio of age(p) Assistants are responsible for providing professional as soundly as administrative leading in schools. The Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) foster better cooperation between the school and the community.Malaysia provides 11 divisions of shrive schooling. Education is the tariff of the Federal establishment, and 20,4% of the annual National Budget is allocated for education. The national education system encompasses education flummoxning from pre-school to higher education. primary and petty(a) education is free but non compulsory. faithfulness has been achieved through a carefully designed system that allows flexibility and room for individual approaches. This is really apparent at the pre-school and again at 3rd level. However primary and alternative education is highly structured, with a electronic computer program which enables the sound acquisition of fundamental knowledge and skills. The a dmission age to the archaeozoic course of instruction of primary education is six. approximately schools in the country are government or government-aided schools. The school social class starts in January and ends in November. Students sit for common exams at the end take out primary, lower sustainary, swiftness auxiliary and sixth form levels.The primary level covers a period of between five to seven historic period, the lower siemens-string three eld, followed by two course of studys at the velocity unoriginal and an other two years at the post secondary level. third education in both the academic and professional fields id provided by universities colleges and other public and offstage institutions of higher education as shown in Chart 1.Pre-school education id part of the national education system under the Education Act, 1996. The aim of pre-school education is to provide a firm establishment for testicle education at the later stage. They are run by governm ent agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as backstage institutions. Children generally begin their pre-school level between four and five years of age. Within the broad guidelines set by the Ministry of Education, a high degree of flexibility prevails in terms of teaching approaches and medium of instruction. The curriculum guidelines set by the Ministry of Education enables pre-school children to acquire sufficient staple fibre dialogue, social and other positive skills in preparation for primary schooling.Primary school begins at six years of age, and may be faultless within five to seven years. Education at this level aims to provide the child with a firm foundation in the staple fiber skills of reading, write and arithmetic, as well as emphasize thinking skills and values across the curriculum. Eventhough education at this level is not compulsory, much than 99 percentage of this age group are enrolled in primary schools nationwide.Taking into consid erateness the multi-ethnic nature of its population, Malaysia has set up two categories of schools the National and National-type schools. In the national schools the medium of instruction is the Malay language, whereas the medium of instruction in the national type schools is either Chinese or Tamil languages.In both types of schools the Malay language is compulsory, and side is also taught as second language in step-up to Chinese, Tamil and other indigenous languages.The curriculum utilise at this level id the unified Curriculum for Primary Schools (ICPS) which consists of three master(prenominal) areas, namely, Communication, Man and his Environment, and Self Development. deuce sound judgment examinations at year three and six are used to evaluate student performance. bang-up students at year three can opt to go corking into year five.Secondary school advises a comprehensive education program. It aims to put up the general development of students by destiny them to acqu ire knowledge, insight and skills from wide range of arts and sciences as well as vocational and technical subjects that provide a practical preconceived idea and hands-on approach to discipline. Basically, the supreme goal is to develop a inviolable foundation for life-long education as students are introduced to the beginnings of specific(a)ization. The medium of instruction is the Malay language, English, Tamil and Chinese are also widely taught as second language.Following the Lower Secondary Assessment examination (PMR) at year three, students move into to a greater extent specialised fields of study at the upper secondary level, based on choice and aptitude of the students, and are reevaluated at year five through the Malaysian credential of Education (SPM) assessment examination. Some secondary schools offer the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (STPM) program which qualifies students for entry into the national universities, colleges and teacher training institution s.Co-curricular programs are regarded as integral part of the school curriculum, and there are basically three types of co-curricular activities, namely, uniformed bodies, clubs and sports. Some co-curricular programs and activities are partly financed by government agencies and the private sector, and implemented at school, district, state and national levels. Various co-curricular programs are organized to develop character, discipline and leadership qualities of the students.Some of these programs are School youthfulness Cadet Corp., School ack-ack gun Brigade Corp., and other leadership courses. The younker is highly encouraged to despoil in various Entrepreneurial Programs, writing, oral presentation and debating competitions as well as cultural activities to create cultural ken and literary appreciation among the students. ethnical exchange programs are held to promote impendent ties and foster better consanguinity between students of different countries regionally and internationally. special(prenominal) education provides educational opportunities for pupils with special needs, such as the spastic, handicapped, visually impaired, earreach impaired as well as those with learning disabilities. Currently there are 2883 schools in the country which are equipped with both teaching staff and facilities to help integrate these children within the general school system. However, those needing to a greater extent intensive care and prudence attend 31 special schools.The Education Act 1996 provides for special formulation of special education in special schools or in mending primary and secondary schools. As a policy, the duration of schooling for children with special needs in a formal system should not be less than that accorded to pupils in regular primary and secondary schools. To ensure effective implementation of special education programs, the Special Teachers Training College conducts courses for teachers of the visually and sense of hearin g impaired students.By the way of withdraw light on the policies adopted by the Ministry of Education of Malaysia, it would be expedient to evaluate their effectiveness, and give some solutions for future betterments. During the Sixth Plan period, i.e. 1991-95, the overall thrust of education was on expanding capacity and outgrowth regain to all levels of education, strengthening the tar system and improving the quality of education. Consequently, it resulted in amplifys in registration at all levels of education.Recognizing the importance of pre-school education efforts were taken by the Ministry to sum up facilities and improve quality of pre-school education. Efforts by both the public and private sectors including non-governmental organizations, resulted in an increase in pre-school centers from about 6,960 in 1990 to 10,350 in 1995. Correspondingly, the consequence of children in the 5-6 age kinsfolk enrolled increased from 328,800 in 1990 to 420,600 in 1995, repres enting an increase of 27,9 per cent.10Establishment of pre-school centers in the unsophisticated areas was very much emphasized, of the total pre-school centers established by the Government, 80% were in rural areas, which benefited about 204,100 rural children.11In primary education the main focus was on expanding capacity, improving living facilities, and the quality of teaching and learning materials. In order to instill elicit in science from an early age, the old existing syllabus were revise and some new ones were introduced. In order to accommodate increases in enrollment, compact overcrowding, a total of 9,530 spare classrooms were constructed. With hostel facilities provided in rural and outback(a) areas, students were able to gain entry to a more conducive learning environment.In order to draw off qualified and experienced teachers to serve in the rural and remote areas, an incentives were introduced for those those free to teach in rural areas. Efforts were also undertaken to provide greater access to education for disabled children and those with learning difficulties. disdain efforts to improve the overall academic performance of primary school students, gaps in students achievements between rural and urban schools still remained.Enrollment at the secondary level in Government and Government aided schools increased by 23.1 per cent from about 1.3 jillion in 1990 to about 1.6 million in 199512 as shown in dodge 1. With the gradual implementation of the policy in the Sixth Plan, the transition rate from lower to upper secondary level improved from 68 per cent in 1990 to 83 per cent in 1995, epoch the elaboration rate at the upper secondary level increased from 50. Per cent in 1990 to 63.7 per cent in 1995.13 Due to change magnitude enrollment in urban schools and to reduce overcrowding, a total of 5,20 sum totalal classrooms was planned for construction. However, only 75% or 3,960 classrooms were completed. Despite improvement measu res bring undertaken, there were still concerns regarding student achievement and the proportion of students who chose science subjects at the upper secondary level.In order to meet the manpower requirements of a rapidly growing economy, ordinal education was directed at increasing enrollment at the degree, sheepskin and surety levels, especially in science, medicine, engineering science and other technical related courses.. Efforts were undertaken to increase intake into local public institutions of higher learning by expanding physical facilities of existing campuses and establishing new universities. Opportunities for Bumiputera to go after studies at the tertiary level were expanded at the Institut Teknologi MARA (ITM) where enrollment increased from 27.500 in 1990 to 35.480 in 1995. Enrollment at the degree, diploma and certificate levels increased by 52.7 per cent from 100.590 in 1990 to 153.610 in 1995. In 1995 an estimated 50.600 Malaysian students or 20 per cent of s tudents in tertiary education were enrolled in various institutions overseas.14In order to meet the objective of education and skill training programs, which is to produce an becoming number of skilled and quality hands to meet the manpower requirements of the country as well as produce citizens who are disciplined and take high moral values and good work ethics, the following measures were suggested to increase the capacity of existing institutions and establishing new ones, particularly in science, engineering and other technical fields strengthen the delivery system through the provide of qualified and experienced teachers and instructors, as well as greater employment of up to date technologies and computers so as to improve the overall quality improve the management and implementation of education and training programs through enhancing managerial capability as well as strengthening the monitoring and evaluating system strengthen research and development (R&D) within the e xisting institutions of higher learning as well s collaborating with local and foreign R&D institutions increase science and technical manpower, particularly in R&D provide appropriate incentives to increase enrollment in the science stream. improve educational facilities in rural areas so as to reduce dropouts from the schools, while at the same time serving the children to perform better give lessons positive values and right attitudes as well as innovativeness, communication and analytical skills among students and trainees encourage reemployment of retired teachers to overcome the problems with shortages in critical subjects encourage more private sector investment in education and training to equilibrate public sector efforts.15As out-of-the-way(prenominal) as the future development of pre-school education is concerned, the Government targets at participation of at least 65 per cent of children in the age of 5-6. A comprehensive policy provide be formulated for the develop ment of pre-school education, blanket major aspects such as curriculum, physical facilities and teacher training, in addition to further improvements of coordination and quality of pre-school education in the public and private sectors. In this respect the latter will be encouraged to provide more pre-school facilities. Furthermore, greater parental interest in their childrens education will be encouraged to increase sense of parents on the importance of pre-school education in their childrens development. New syllabus and teaching methods with emphasis to practical experience will be further developed.As far as secondary education is concerned, the enrollment at the secondary level in Government and Government-aided schools is anticipate to increase by 25 per cent from about 1.6 million in 1995 to 2.0 million in the year 2000. The increase will be more significant at the upper secondary level with the extension of basic education from nine to 11 years. A total of 9,770 new clas srooms will be built in order to accommodate the increase in enrollment and reduce overcrowding.16 education method which are simple, practical and kindle will continue to be used in order to increase students interest as well as improve their performance.Appropriate incentives will be provided to science students so as to increase enrollment in the science stream. Taking into billhook the latest technological development, the use of computers in secondary schools will be extensively promoted to build a strong foundation for a computer literate society. Extensive monitoring and paygrade of students performance at all levels will be undertaken, in addition to development of new teaching and learning approaches so as to resurrect students academic performance.Paper on Critically Examining the Educational Policy of MalaysiaMalaysia is one of the worlds fastest growing economic regions, a rapidly growing nation in the heart of South East Asia. Within a span of two decades, it has s ucceeded in bringing about socioeconomic transformation of the society from its architecture to its lifestyle, the Malaysian character speaks of a comfortable coexistence of its ethnic, cultural as well as religious diversity that continues to be a part of this countrys charm and practical reality.Malaysias Vision 2020 steers the nation towards becoming a fully developed and industrialized country, a democratic society that is strong in religious and spiritual values, a society that is liberal and tolerant, scientific and progressive, innovative and forward looking. This goal is reflected in the mission of the Ministry of Education, that is To develop a world class quality education system which will realize the full potential of the individual and fulfill the aspiration of the Malaysian nation.Education has provided a solid platform for countrys political as well as economic stability with a view to establishing Malaysia as a regional center for academic excellence and turning educ ation into a top quality export commodity. The Malaysian education system has equipped its young people with a level of competence and skills which has put them on par with the top students in some of the worlds best universities, and at 93%, Malaysias literacy rate is one of the highest in the world.The paper aims at critically examining the educational policy of the Ministry of Education Malaysia, with description of social, governmental and economic environments in which the policy was developed. Effectiveness of the policy will be evaluated and problems related to it will be further highlighted, with comparison to the one of the models from class lecture, i.e. the incremental model of public policy.The foundation for the development of the national education system rests on the National Philosophy of Education, which states that Education in Malaysia is an on-going effort towards further developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produc e individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonious, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God.Malaysia being a multi-relligious country, spiritual, religious and moral characteristics of the individuals are highly emphasized and encouraged, which is clear from the national philosophy as well. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards, and who are responsible and capable of achieving high level of personal well-being as well as able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society and the nation at large.One of the most significant reforms initiated in recent years is the formulation of new legislation on education, which will affect the process of educational reforms from pre-school to higher education. The Education Act 1996 replacing the old one of 1961 aims at consolidating the national system of education and widen the scope of education in the country. All categories of schools, with the exception of international ones will be incorporated under the national system of education, which is characterized by the use of a common medium of instruction, a nationally excepted curriculum and common public exams. It will also cover such areas as upgrading and enhancing of pre-school education, teacher education, special education, private and technical education. It gives the education greater prominence, ensuring relevance and quality in the system of education.The Ministry of Education is directly responsible for the organization, management and development of the education in the country and has a centralized system of educational administration headed by the Minister of Education. Hi is assisted by two Deputy Ministers of Education. The secretary-general of Education is responsible for the administrative matters, and the Director-General of Education is concerned with professional matters, and both are directly responsible to the Minister of Education.The Ministry was restructured in 1995 and under this new structure there are six principal Departments, such as Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education Department, Department of Higher Education which coordinates governance and policy formulation of public universities and higher education institutions in the country Technical Education Department which is responsible for conducting research, planning and implementing technical and vocational programs Department of Private Education which monitors and regulates the development of private education in the country Department of Special Education and Department of Islamic Education which supervises the Islamic and Moral Education at all public primary and secondary schools.Besides these six Departments, there are several Divisions, agencies and statutory bodies within the Ministry of Education that are responsible for professional and administrative matters that are not handled by the six Departments. They can be classified under two broad categories, namely Professional and Administrative Divisions.Under Professional Divisions are Educational Planning and Research Division, which undertakes macro educational planning, and monitors the implementation of educational policies and programs Educational Technology Division, which upgrades the quality of the teaching-learning process by providing educational media and technological services to support educational programs Examinations Syndicate responsible for organizing, administrating and conducting all public examinations for schools and Federal Inspectorate of Schools, providing professional supervision on the teaching-learning process of teachers and supervisory management to school principals.Under Administrative Divisions, there are Organizational Development and Services Division, which oversees the implementation of the terms and conditions of the education service Scholarship Division Management Services Division responsible for handling general administrative matters for the Ministry of Education Financial Division Information Systems Division and International Relations Division.The administrative structure is organized at four hierarchical levels, namely, national, state, district and school.A system of committees is established in the Ministry of Education to facilitate inter-division and intra-division decision-making. The Minister chairs the Education Planning Committee, which is the highest decision-making body at the federal level concerned with educational policy adoption, adjustment and implementation. Policy matters in education with wider ramifications are referred to Cabinet before final decisions are made.b) State Education Department (SED)Those educational policies and plans made at the federal level are implemented at the state level through the State Education Department. It supervises the implementation of education policies, monitor national education programs, pr oject and activities, as well as providing feedback to the central agencies for general planning.District Education Offices are set up in almost all states, except Perlis, Malacca and the Federal Territories, in order to support the state level administrative system. It basically provides the linkage between schools and the SED.At the level of school, the Headmasters/Principals, assisted by two or three Senior Assistants are responsible for providing professional as well as administrative leadership in schools. The Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) foster better cooperation between the school and the community.Malaysia provides 11 years of free schooling. Education is the responsibility of the Federal Government, and 20,4% of the annual National Budget is allocated for education. The national education system encompasses education beginning from pre-school to higher education.Primary and secondary education is free but not compulsory. Excellence has been achieved through a carefully designed system that allows flexibility and room for individual approaches. This is really apparent at the pre-school and again at tertiary level. However primary and secondary education is highly structured, with a curriculum which enables the sound acquisition of fundamental knowledge and skills. The admission age to the first year of primary education is six. Most schools in the country are government or government-aided schools. The school year starts in January and ends in November. Students sit for common exams at the end off primary, lower secondary, upper secondary and sixth form levels.The primary level covers a period of between five to seven years, the lower secondary three years, followed by two years at the upper secondary and another two years at the post secondary level. Tertiary education in both the academic and professional fields id provided by universities colleges and other public and private institutions of higher education as shown in Chart 1.Pre-school educa tion id part of the national education system under the Education Act, 1996. The aim of pre-school education is to provide a firm foundation for formal education at the later stage. They are run by government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as private institutions. Children generally begin their pre-school level between four and five years of age. Within the broad guidelines set by the Ministry of Education, a high degree of flexibility prevails in terms of teaching approaches and medium of instruction. The curriculum guidelines set by the Ministry of Education enables pre-school children to acquire sufficient basic communication, social and other positive skills in preparation for primary schooling.Primary school begins at six years of age, and may be completed within five to seven years. Education at this level aims to provide the child with a firm foundation in the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as emphasizing thinking skills and values across the curriculum. Eventhough education at this level is not compulsory, more than 99 percent of this age group are enrolled in primary schools nationwide.Taking into consideration the multi-ethnic nature of its population, Malaysia has set up two categories of schools the National and National-type schools. In the national schools the medium of instruction is the Malay language, whereas the medium of instruction in the national type schools is either Chinese or Tamil languages.In both types of schools the Malay language is compulsory, and English is also taught as second language in addition to Chinese, Tamil and other indigenous languages.The curriculum used at this level id the Integrated Curriculum for Primary Schools (ICPS) which consists of three main areas, namely, Communication, Man and his Environment, and Self Development. Two assessment examinations at year three and six are used to evaluate student performance. Outstanding students at year three can opt to go straight into year five.Secondary school offers a comprehensive education program. It aims to promote the general development of students by helping them to acquire knowledge, insight and skills from wide range of arts and sciences as well as vocational and technical subjects that provide a practical bias and hands-on approach to learning. Basically, the ultimate goal is to develop a strong foundation for life-long education as students are introduced to the beginnings of specialization. The medium of instruction is the Malay language, English, Tamil and Chinese are also widely taught as second language.Following the Lower Secondary Assessment examination (PMR) at year three, students move into more specialized fields of study at the upper secondary level, based on choice and aptitude of the students, and are reevaluated at year five through the Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) assessment examination. Some secondary schools offer the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (STPM ) program which qualifies students for entry into the national universities, colleges and teacher training institutions.Co-curricular programs are regarded as integral part of the school curriculum, and there are basically three types of co-curricular activities, namely, uniformed bodies, clubs and sports. Some co-curricular programs and activities are partly financed by government agencies and the private sector, and implemented at school, district, state and national levels. Various co-curricular programs are organized to develop character, discipline and leadership qualities of the students.Some of these programs are School Youth Cadet Corp., School Fire Brigade Corp., and other leadership courses. The Youth is highly encouraged to indulge in various Entrepreneurial Programs, writing, speaking and debating competitions as well as cultural activities to create cultural awareness and literary appreciation among the students. Cultural exchange programs are held to promote closer tie s and foster better relationship between students of different countries regionally and internationally.Special education provides educational opportunities for pupils with special needs, such as the spastic, handicapped, visually impaired, hearing impaired as well as those with learning disabilities. Currently there are 2883 schools in the country which are equipped with both teaching staff and facilities to help integrate these children within the general school system. However, those needing more intensive care and attention attend 31 special schools.The Education Act 1996 provides for special provision of special education in special schools or in regular primary and secondary schools. As a policy, the duration of schooling for children with special needs in a formal system should not be less than that accorded to pupils in regular primary and secondary schools. To ensure effective implementation of special education programs, the Special Teachers Training College conducts cours es for teachers of the visually and hearing impaired students.By the way of shedding light on the policies adopted by the Ministry of Education of Malaysia, it would be expedient to evaluate their effectiveness, and give some solutions for future improvements. During the Sixth Plan period, i.e. 1991-95, the overall thrust of education was on expanding capacity and increasing access to all levels of education, strengthening the delivery system and improving the quality of education. Consequently, it resulted in increases in enrollment at all levels of education.Recognizing the importance of pre-school education efforts were taken by the Ministry to increase facilities and improve quality of pre-school education. Efforts by both the public and private sectors including non-governmental organizations, resulted in an increase in pre-school centers from about 6,960 in 1990 to 10,350 in 1995. Correspondingly, the number of children in the 5-6 age category enrolled increased from 328,800 i n 1990 to 420,600 in 1995, representing an increase of 27,9 per cent.10Establishment of pre-school centers in the rural areas was very much emphasized, of the total pre-school centers established by the Government, 80% were in rural areas, which benefited about 204,100 rural children.11In primary education the main focus was on expanding capacity, improving existing facilities, and the quality of teaching and learning materials. In order to instill interest in science from an early age, the old existing syllabus were revised and some new ones were introduced. In order to accommodate increases in enrollment, reduce overcrowding, a total of 9,530 excess classrooms were constructed. With hostel facilities provided in rural and remote areas, students were able to gain access to a more conducive learning environment.In order to attract qualified and experienced teachers to serve in the rural and remote areas, an incentives were introduced for those those willing to teach in rural areas. Efforts were also undertaken to provide greater access to education for disabled children and those with learning difficulties. Despite efforts to improve the overall academic performance of primary school students, gaps in students achievements between rural and urban schools still remained.Enrollment at the secondary level in Government and Government aided schools increased by 23.1 per cent from about 1.3 million in 1990 to about 1.6 million in 199512 as shown in Table 1. With the gradual implementation of the policy in the Sixth Plan, the transition rate from lower to upper secondary level improved from 68 per cent in 1990 to 83 per cent in 1995, while the participation rate at the upper secondary level increased from 50. Per cent in 1990 to 63.7 per cent in 1995.13 Due to increasing enrollment in urban schools and to reduce overcrowding, a total of 5,20 additional classrooms was planned for construction. However, only 75% or 3,960 classrooms were completed. Despite improvement measures bring undertaken, there were still concerns regarding student achievement and the proportion of students who chose science subjects at the upper secondary level.In order to meet the manpower requirements of a rapidly growing economy, tertiary education was directed at increasing enrollment at the degree, diploma and certificate levels, particularly in science, medicine, engineering and other technical related courses.. Efforts were undertaken to increase intake into local public institutions of higher learning by expanding physical facilities of existing campuses and establishing new universities. Opportunities for Bumiputera to pursue studies at the tertiary level were expanded at the Institut Teknologi MARA (ITM) where enrollment increased from 27.500 in 1990 to 35.480 in 1995. Enrollment at the degree, diploma and certificate levels increased by 52.7 per cent from 100.590 in 1990 to 153.610 in 1995. In 1995 an estimated 50.600 Malaysian students or 20 per cent of student s in tertiary education were enrolled in various institutions overseas.14In order to meet the objective of education and skill training programs, which is to produce an adequate number of skilled and quality workforce to meet the manpower requirements of the country as well as produce citizens who are disciplined and possess high moral values and good work ethics, the following measures were suggested to increase the capacity of existing institutions and establishing new ones, particularly in science, engineering and other technical fields strengthen the delivery system through the provision of qualified and experienced teachers and instructors, as well as greater utilization of up to date technologies and computers so as to improve the overall quality improve the management and implementation of education and training programs through enhancing managerial capability as well as strengthening the monitoring and evaluating system strengthen research and development (R&D) within the ex isting institutions of higher learning as well s collaborating with local and foreign R&D institutions increase science and technical manpower, particularly in R&D provide appropriate incentives to increase enrollment in the science stream. improve educational facilities in rural areas so as to reduce dropouts from the schools, while at the same time helping the children to perform better inculcate positive values and right attitudes as well as innovativeness, communication and analytical skills among students and trainees encourage reemployment of retired teachers to overcome the problems with shortages in critical subjects encourage more private sector investment in education and training to complement public sector efforts.15As far as the future development of pre-school education is concerned, the Government targets at participation of at least 65 per cent of children in the age of 5-6. A comprehensive policy will be formulated for the development of pre-school education, coveri ng major aspects such as curriculum, physical facilities and teacher training, in addition to further improvements of coordination and quality of pre-school education in the public and private sectors. In this respect the latter will be encouraged to provide more pre-school facilities. Furthermore, greater parental involvement in their childrens education will be encouraged to increase awareness of parents on the importance of pre-school education in their childrens development. New syllabus and teaching methods with emphasis to practical experience will be further developed.As far as secondary education is concerned, the enrollment at the secondary level in Government and Government-aided schools is expected to increase by 25 per cent from about 1.6 million in 1995 to 2.0 million in the year 2000. The increase will be more significant at the upper secondary level with the extension of basic education from nine to 11 years. A total of 9,770 new classrooms will be built in order to a ccommodate the increase in enrollment and reduce overcrowding.16 Teaching method which are simple, practical and interesting will continue to be used in order to increase students interest as well as improve their performance.Appropriate incentives will be provided to science students so as to increase enrollment in the science stream. Taking into account the latest technological development, the use of computers in secondary schools will be extensively promoted to build a strong foundation for a computer literate society. Extensive monitoring and evaluation of students performance at all levels will be undertaken, in addition to development of new teaching and learning approaches so as to enhance students academic performance.