“My parents chose an SJKC because they wanted me to preserve our Chinese roots,” says 16-year-old Mei Ling from Penang. “But my best friend goes to a national school. We compare homework—our math is in Chinese, hers in BM. We still end up with the same answers.”
Education is compulsory for 11 years. The breakdown is as follows: “My parents chose an SJKC because they wanted