THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER

EDUCATION INSTITUTION AND ITS ROLE

IN THE EDUCATION OF TEACHERS

1. The Development of Higher Education Institution

A government ministry, The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) is responsible for the
determining the policies and direction of higher education in Malaysia. The higher education
institution was started in 1961 where the formation of University Malaya (UM) and Science
University Malaysia (USM) followed by Tunku Abdul Rahman College in 1969. The number
of Public HEIs increased in1970s, 1980s and 1990s by then.
1.1 Public Higher Education Institutes (Public HEIs)
The purpose of the curriculum in public universities is to enhance the skills especially in
language mastery, communication skills and competencies in science and technology plus the
acquisition of knowledge and the latest technology to capture the job market and industry
nowadays. The co-curricular activities are to have a balanced human capital and quality
workforce.
There are 20 public universities in Malaysia formed under University and College Act
(AUKU) in 1971. It was divided into three groups comprising of four research universities
emphasizing on research discipline, 12 focused universities focusing on technical, education,
management and defense disciplines and four comprehensive universities offering various
courses and field of studies. Among these universities, in 2006, two public HEIs were listed
in the best 200 universities throughout the world. It was reported in The Times Higher
Education Supplement that National University of Malaysia (UKM) ranked 185 while
University Malaya (UM) was ranked at 192 in the list.

1.2 Private Higher Education Institutes (Private HEIs)

The development of private higher education started in 1990s as an alternative
educational institution for those who did not succeed to have a place in public HEIs. Some of
the programmes are recognized by the overseas universities as an entrance qualification in the
universities final year programmes through credit transfer especially at diploma level.
The private Education Department which is formerly the Teacher and School Registration
Division was established in 1995 to handling and managing the matters of education in all
levels. Until 2007, there are 33 universities and universities colleges, four overseas university
franchise campuses and 488 colleges that offer variety of academic and training programmes.

1.3 Polytechnics
Polytechnics were introduced through the Colombo Plan 1969 with the opening of Ungku
Omar Polytechnic (PUO) in Perak. The education has been structured under the Cabinet
Committee Report (1979) and the National Master Plan (1985-1995). In 2008, 27
polytechnics have a total of 84,250 students that enrolled. It offers 31 courses at certificate
level and 45 courses at diploma level in the fields of engineering, business and hospitality. In
July 2006, diploma in Aviation Maintenance was introduced in collaboration with Malaysian
Airlines. It was a smart partnership and collaborative programme with local corporations and
overseas institutions of higher learning. The purpose is to make courses that have been
offered more competitive internationally.
1.4 Community College
In June 2001, 10 community colleges had been formed. In 2008, there are 37 community
colleges and 19 branches of community colleges throughout the country. The enrolment of
students at certification levels were over 15000 students. In the ninth Malaysia Plan (9th MP),
25 community colleges will be built and 30 colleges will be opened on rented premises. It
will offer a full time as well as short term courses focusing on skills training. The courses are
conducted through work-based learning (WBL).
2. The Development of Teachers Education
2.1 Introduction
The Teacher Education Division (TED) was formed as the main teacher training
agency of the Ministry of Education (MOE). The first national teacher training initiative
started with the founding of the Singaporean Malay Teachers College in Singapore in 1878.
The Malacca Malay College was formed in 1900 with an intake of 24 trainees. A total of 31
Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) existed in 1900. On 13th July 1995, the upgrading of TTCs
to Institutes of Teacher Education Malaysia (ITEM) was approved by the Cabinet to conduct
basic degree level teacher training courses.

2.2 Kirkby Teachers Training College

The Kirkby Teacher;s Training College was set up in Kirkby, Lancashire, Liverpool,
England in 1952. It was aimed to train teachers from Federation of Malaya to overcome the
shortage of trained teachers. Teachers are needed in the country after the Second World War.
There were inadequate training centres and insufficient number of teacher trainers to train
potential teachers.
Thenceforth, in 1952, 149 students from Malaya were sent followed by 150 students
in the second batch. The curriculum included English Language, Malay language, Geography,
literature, mathematics, handicraft, child development, psychology and other related subjects
been taught. Moreover, teaching English to primary and lower secondary schools was taught
to the trainees for achieving their aims. However, sufficient number of training colleges was
available in the country and the college was closed in 1962.
2.3 Brinsford Lodge
Brinsford Lodge was set up in 1955 in Wolverhampton to train lower secondary
school teachers. It was offered to the Malaysian government as a Teacher Training College. It
changed its curriculum after the first intake. The changes were made to the teaching-training
curriculum. The potential lectures were trained for local training centres in Malaya. It only
last until 1964 when Brinsford Lodge become the Halls of Residence of Wolverhampton
Polytechnic.
2.4 Sultan Idris Training College
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) was founded by R.O.Windstedt in 1971 as
the Sultan Idris Training College. In 1959 the name was changed to Sultan Idris Teacher
Training College or Maktab Perguruan Sultan Idris (MPSI), providing training only for
primary school Malay teachers. New courses were also introduced leading to a degree
conferred by UPM. It was upgraded to a full-fledged university in 1997 with the plan to
increase the number of graduate teachers for primary and secondary schools. The university
was named after the late Sultan Idris Murshidul Azam Shah, the 28th Sultan of Perak. It was
opened on 29th November 1922 by the chief secretary of the Federated Malay States, Sir
George Maxwell. They required the students to complete a three-year course of training
where traditional skills and arithmetic were taught. The training course was extend to five

years and new subjects had been introduced with the adoption of the Education Ordinance
1957 based on the recommendations of the 1956 Razak Report.
2.5 Aminuddin Baki Institute (IAB)
The Aminuddin Baki Institute (IAB) provides educational leadership and
management. If focuses on the courses especially for officers from State Education
Departments, District Education Offices, Principals, Head Teachers, Senior Assistants as well
as support staff.
It conducts and provides special courses. For instance, on-demand education-related
courses for international clientele and consultancy service for staff development programmes.
Specifically, the courses conducted by IAB are the National Professional Qualification for
Headship (NPQH), School Leadership and Management, Special Degree Programme for
Headmasters and short-term courses. The special degree programmes for headmasters
involves eight public higher education institutions which are Universiti Pendidikan Sultan
Idris, the National University of Malaysia, the International Islamic University of Malaysia,
University of Malaysia, Sabah , University of Technology Malaysia, University of Nothern
Malaysia and the Tun Hussein Onn University.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF VOCATIONAL

EDUCATION, INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION
AND ISLAMIC EDUCATION

1. VOCATIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION

Vocational education appeared in 1897 in the Malaysian education when the British
initiated the training for Malay youths as mechanics. In 1900, Malay handicrafts made its first
appearance where local Malays with skills in weaving, embroidery and craving were
employed in schools to teach the skills. In 1905, Teacher Technical School in Kuala Lumpur
was established to train technical assistants in the Public Work Department, Survey
Department and Malayan Railway. It was later became Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
in 1972. Teacher Technical School was also been set up to train technical assistants for The
Agricultural Training Center was set up in 1923. In 1931, the Agricultural School in Serdang
was established to train agricultural officers. It later became Universiti Pertanian Malaysia in
1972.
Subsequently, the technical and industrial education commission was formed in 1918
to study the need for vocational and technical education in the Malay states. In 1955, before
Malaya gained independence, government has set up an Education Committee. Theyve
published the Razak report in 1956 that promoted the policy of establishing a vocational
stream alongside the general secondary school system. Moreover, in 1979, the Deputy Prime
Minister at that time, Dr Mahathir Mohamed, led the Cabinet Report of 1979 reaffirmed the
countrys upper secondary education that comprise of academic and vocational streams.
Malaysian TVET developed progressively into three streams which are higher education,
technical and vocational education and skills training.
In the table from Economic Planning Unit (2006), in the Ninth Malaysia Plan, there
are levels of education regarding to the technical and vocational education training in
Malaysia. Technical Education Schools nowadays is a post-PMR course for 2 years at the
Technical Secondary school. In contrast, vocational education schools where students are
studying vocational skill. The formation of Polytechnic Ministry of Higher Education
(MoHE) aimed in providing professionals skills in engineering, commercial and hospitality.
The purpose was to meet the nations both in the public and private sectors with the Diploma
and Certificate levels.

2. ISLAMIC EDUCATION
Education has been emphasized since the beginning of Islamic world. Education is a
continuous process that nurtures the natural potentials of human beings from the intellectual,
behavioral, spiritual and physical aspects in an integrated and balanced manner so as to
produce righteous human beings who will bring goodness to this world and the hereafter.
The goal was to shape and develop human beings to become knowledgeable, faithful and
trustworthy, righteous and noble Muslims. Every Muslim is responsible in becoming godloving and god-fearing followers and caliphs of Allah. The area if education included muslim
faith education, physical education, character-building education, mental education, life
education, social education and sex education
In Malaysia, Islamic education has started during the Malacca Sultanate. It was
divided into three phase. The first phase, students were taught at the homes of teachers who
were known as scholars. The teaching which took place at home was focused on the learning
of Al-Quran and Islamic religious. The second phase was the madrasah, suraus and mosques
which played a significant role in the development of local Muslim community. It existed due
to the increasing number of students. The scholars also been invited to teach the royalties at
the palace. The third phase was the religious institute or pondok schools. They were led by
educators called ulamaks which were highly respected. Theres no standard syllabus but
theyve used the curriculum of Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca. Students stay in the hut provided
and studied at madrasah. The subjects that are taught were Tauhid, Al-Quran, Fiqh, Hadith,
Nahu, Sufi, Tasawwuf, Akhlaq, Arabic and Jawi. After graduation, some will further their
studies in Mecca, Cairo, Pakistan or India. Some of them will serve as teachers in their
villages.
However, the Education Act 1996 brought in the teaching of Islamic education along
with the moral education in private learning institutions. It was known as the Islamic and
Moral Education Department (JAPIM) that provides a managing assistance to people in
religious schools and new recruited religious teachers in the religious education unit.

Education in Malaysia : a journey towards excellent.

Dr. Pang Chau Leong, August 2011, Technical and Vocational Education and

Training (TVET) in Malaysia,

www.tvec.gov.lk/HRDAsiaConf/...day.../TVET_Malaysia_Pang1.1.docx
educationmalaysia.blogspot.com/2006/05/islamic-education.htm

Aileen Asim , http://www.slideshare.net/AileenAsim/development-of-theeducation-system-in-malaysia-edu3101

Fadzliaton Zainudin, Assistant Director at Educational Technology Division,
http://www.slideshare.net/Fadzliaton/education-in-malaysia?related=1
Technical & Vocational Education & Training (TVET) from Malaysia Perspective
Prof. Dr. Jailani Bin Md. Yunos,
Assoc.Prof.Dr.Wan Mohd Rashid Bin. Wan Ahmad,
Assoc.Prof.Dr. Noraini Binti Kaprawi,
Assoc.Prof.Dr.Wahid Bin Razally
Kolej Universiti Teknologi Tun Hussein Onn
(KUiTTHO), Malaysia.

http://www.slideshare.net/ghazally/wp-jailani-etal2006a