National Secondary Schools

National Secondary Schools

‘National secondary schools’ are government or government aided secondary schools;

1. providing a five-year course of secondary education appropriate for pupils who have just completed primary education;
2. using the national language as the main medium of instruction;
3. in which the English language is a compulsory subject of instruction;
4. in which facilities for the teaching of—

(i) the Chinese or Tamil language shall be made available if the parents of at least fifteen pupils in the school so request;

(ii) indigenous languages shall be made available if it is reasonable and practicable so to do and if the parents of at least fifteen pupils in the school so request; and

(iii) Arabic, Japanese, German or French or any other foreign language may be made available if it is reasonable and practicable so to do; and

5. preparing pupils for such examinations as may be prescribed,

and includes any such school providing a transition class;

Secondary education is provided through different types of schools, namely, academic schools, technical schools and schools of other descriptions as determined by the Minister of Education. The description of the schools provides an indication of the type of education provided;

1. Academic schools
2. Technical Schools
3. Vocational Schools (now upgraded to vocational Colleges)
4. Performing Arts Schools
5. Sports Schools
6. Residential Schools
7. Military Schools
8. MARA Junior Science Colleges
9. Religious Schools
10. Special Model Schools