Formal education in Malaysia seems to have begun with the arrival of Islam. Sekolah Pondok (hut schools), madrasahs and other Islamic schools are the earlist known schools in Malaysia. The curruculm was basically religious and focused heavily on menorizing Koranic verses. Secular education bergan with the arrival of the British (early-19th century). These schools were mostly founded in the Straits Settlements of Penang, Melaka, and Singapore. The oldest English-language school is the Penang Free School (1816). It wasn't until after World War II, however, that the Malaysians began to build a modern public eduvation system. The country's economic success has enabled it to build a fine public school system. An achievement which in turn has been a factor in the country's economic growth. Today the country has reduced iliteracy to low levels and has made enormous progress in pub;ic education, including the education of girls. School uniforms are compulsory in Malaysia, showing the British influence. Malaysia's population is about 50 percent ethnic Malay, all Muslim. The rest are ethnic Chinese (mostly Christian or Taoist) and ethnic Tamil (mostly Hindu). Chinese and Indian boys wear short pants to school--usually as part of simple uniforms of white short-sleeved shirts and navy blue short pants. However, the Malay boys wear navy long pants. The Islamic dress code (veils for women) specifically prohibts men (and presumably boys) from showing knees in public. The boys do not wear blazers because it is too hot.

Country Background

Malaysia is the southern half of the Malay Peninsula located in he heart of Southeast Asia. Modern Maylasia is a federation of former British colonies and protectorates. Malaysia's population is about 50 percent ethnic Malay, virtually all Muslim. The rest are ethnic Chinese (mostly Christian or Taoist) and ethnic Indians--mostly Tamil (mostly Hindu). It is a former British colony abd since World War II has experiebced enormous economic success.

Education History

Formal education in Malaysia seems tgo have begun with the arrival of Islam. Sekolah Pondok (hut schools), madrasahs and other Islamic schools are the earlist known schools in Malaysia. The curruculm was basically religious and focused heavuily on menorizing Koranic verses. Secular education bergan with the arrival of the British (early-19th century). Thedse schools were mostly founded in the Straits Settlements of Penang, Melaka, and Singapore. The oldest English-language school is the Penang Free School (1816). It wasn't until after World War II, however, that the Malaysians began to build a modern public eduvation system. The country's economic success has enabled it to build a fine public school system. An achievement which in turn has been a factor in the country's economic growth. Today the country has reduced iliteracy to low levels and has made ebormous progress in pub;ic education, including the education of girls.

Uniforms

School uniforms are compulsory in Malaysia, showing the British influence. The different ethnic groups have varying uniform conventions. Primary age children wear blue and white uniforms, especially the boys. he girls wear a mixture of uniforms. The secondary students wear green long trousers or shorts with a variety of coloured shirts (mostly white) from blue, yellow, green and white. Most of the schools wear a monogram on their shirt pockets which is purchased through the school itself. I also noticed some students completely in white, wether it be shorts or long trousers. I was told that these were the Indian students. There was another uniform I spied in a shop that was used by the Chinese students. This was made from a lighter material and had a stand up collar rather than the typical collar that could be worn with a tie. Incidentally, only the prefects wear a tie at all schools in Malaysia.

Chinese and Indian boys

Chinese and Indian boys wear short pants to school--usually as part of simple uniforms of white short-sleeved shirts and navy blue short pants. A HBC contributor reports that at least one-third of schools (in KualaLumpur at least), use an alternative to blue short pants--lovat (mid green). One report suggests that by 2000 this was becoming less common for secondary school boys. Chinese boys also wear shorts for casual, though never for formal, wear.

Malay boys

The Malay boys wear navy long pants. The Islamic dress code (veils for women) specifically prohibts men and older boys from showing their thighs in public considering it immodest. Some young urban trendy Malay teens in Kuala Lamur occasionally wearing shorts as a fashion item--but since the current fashion has them coming down to their knees anyway, they are not really transgressing Islamic rules. Here's an extract from a report of a speech by Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad (Straits Times, 2 September 2001): He said the problem with Malay students was that they refused to study. For this, he laid the blame squarely on the rise of fundamentalism. "Our national schools have become similar to Islamic religious schools. If anyone in the schools gives a directive in the name of Islam, no one will dare to oppose it." He said the emphasis on Islam in national schools had driven away many Chinese students. "There are even some schools that force students to wear long pants while playing football because they consider shorts unIslamic." He said footballers from Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia wore shorts, but no teacher or government officer in Malaysia dared to ask students to wear shorts.

Climatic Factors

Due to the heat, of course the standard material for shirts and pants is plain cotton. None of the boys wear blazers because it is too hot.

Scedule

There are two starting times for the students in both primary and secondary schools. This is due to there being more students than the schools can handle. The first start time is at 7.30am to 1.00pm and the second sitting is from 1.30pm to 6.00pm. Nobody could tell me if the students have a choice, but one person mentioned the fact that some students have difficulty waking early, so I guess this may have some influence on their starting time.

Individual Schools

We do not yet have any details about individual Malaysian schools. Malaysia was a British colony. We do have some information about the Royal Australian Air Force School (RAAF) established in Malaysia to service Australian families stationed in Malasia as part of their Commonwealth responsibilites.

Activities

Malaysian school children like children in other countries, enjoy to go on field trips. A reader has contributed pictures of a school field trip to the Royal Selangor Pewter factory in Kuala Lumpur. The pictures do show the typical uniform of white shirts and blue pants. Most boys wear long paznts, but some primary boys wear shorts. This appears to be a personal choice rather than a school regulation.

Uniform Shops

There are school uniform shops in major cities like Penang. Many of these shops are very small. The inside of the store show an array of shirts neatly stacked on shelves. Curiouslky there are sometimes uniform shops on the same block. The shops not only sell male and female uniforms for school, but also uniforms for youth groups (Scouts and Boys' Brigade). The small shops are normally laid out. The uniforms were very reasonably priced which indicated the state of the economy in Malaysia. A student can be full kitted out for AUS$40.00 to $50.00. Compare this to the Australian uniforms for similar schools at $200.00 to $250.00. Because of the lower prices, you might think that quality was sacrificed, but the uniforms are of a very high standard, giving a smart appearance to the students.

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