Starts at age 7 (or 6 under new reforms) . Students attend National Schools (SK) where the medium is Malay, or Vernacular Schools (SJK) where the medium is Mandarin (SJKC) or Tamil (SJKT) .
Use Mandarin or Tamil as the primary language, with Malay and English as compulsory subjects.
This article explores the structure, culture, challenges, and unique flavor of school life in Malaysia—from the first bell of primary school to the high-stakes drama of the SPM examinations.