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Introduction

The dataset of Higher Education in Malaysia provides information on the number of

teacher education institutes, polytechnics, community colleges, and public universities in
Malaysia from the year 2000 to 2020. From the data, we can see that the number of teacher
education institutes has remained at 27 from the year 2000 to 2016 and then decreased to 27 in
2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. The number of polytechnics, on the other hand, has increased from
12 in the year 2000 to 36 in the year 2020, a 200% increase. The number of community colleges
has also seen a significant increase from 5 in the year 2000 to 103 in the year 2020, a 106%
increase. Lastly, the number of public universities has remained constant at 20 throughout the
entire time period. In terms of percentage distribution, teacher education institutes have
accounted for a constant 4.59% of the total number of higher education institutes in Malaysia
from the year 2000 to 2020. Meanwhile, polytechnics have gone from accounting for 20% of the
total number of higher education institutes in the year 2000 to 36.36% in the year 2020. The
percentage of community colleges has increased from 8.6% in the year 2000 to 17.54% in the
year 2020. Lastly, the percentage of public universities has remained constant at 3.45%
throughout the entire time period.

The dataset of Higher Education in Malaysia provides a comprehensive overview of the

growth and development of different types of higher education institutions in the country over a
period of 21 years, from the year 2000 to 2020. The data presents the number of institutions in
each category, including Teacher Education Institutes, Polytechnics, Community Colleges, and
Public Universities. Teacher Education Institutes are the largest category of higher education
institutions in Malaysia, with 27 institutions in the year 2000 and remaining unchanged at 27
institutions till the year 2017, before decreasing to 26 institutions in the following two years.
This shows that the number of Teacher Education Institutes in Malaysia has remained relatively
constant over the past 21 years. Polytechnics, on the other hand, have seen a substantial increase
in their number over the past 21 years. In the year 2000, there were 12 Polytechnics, which
gradually increased to 36 institutions in the year 2020, reflecting a three-fold increase over the
period. This increase in the number of Polytechnics suggests that Malaysia is placing greater
emphasis on vocational and technical education to meet the changing needs of its labor market.
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The number of Community Colleges in Malaysia has also witnessed a substantial

increase over the past 21 years. In the year 2000, there were only 5 Community Colleges, which
increased to 103 institutions in the year 2020, reflecting a 20-fold increase over the period. This
increase in the number of Community Colleges highlights the growing importance of community
colleges in Malaysia's higher education system as an alternative pathway to a university
education.

2000-2007

Between the year 2000 and 2007, the number of teacher education institutes remained
constant at 27. This stability in the number of teacher education institutes could indicate a steady
demand for teachers over this period, or a lack of government initiatives or private investment
aimed at increasing the number of such institutions. In contrast, the number of polytechnics in
Malaysia showed a significant increase over this period, rising from 12 in 2000 to 27 in 2007.
This represents an increase of 125% over the seven-year period. This growth can be attributed to
the government's efforts to increase the number of technical and vocational institutions to
address the demand for skilled workers in Malaysia's growing economy.
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The number of community colleges in Malaysia also increased significantly between the
year 2000 and 2007, growing from 5 to 35. This represents an increase of 600% over the seven-
year period. This growth can be attributed to the government's efforts to increase access to higher
education in the country and to provide more opportunities for Malaysians to acquire the skills
and knowledge needed for the workforce. Finally, the number of public universities in Malaysia
remained constant at 11 during the period from 2000 to 2007. This stability in the number of
public universities could indicate a lack of investment or initiative aimed at expanding the higher
education sector in Malaysia during this period.

2008-2014

The data on higher education in Malaysia from 2008 to 2014 shows a growth in the
number of Polytechnics and Community Colleges, while the number of Teacher Education
Institutes and Public Universities remained relatively constant. In 2008, there were 27
Polytechnics, 7 Community Colleges, 11 Public Universities and 28 Teacher Education
Institutes. By 2014, the number of Polytechnics increased to 34, Community Colleges to 93, and
remained unchanged at 20 for Public Universities and 28 for Teacher Education Institutes. In
terms of percentage changes, the number of Polytechnics increased by 25.9%, Community
Colleges by 1,214.3%, while Public Universities remained unchanged. The number of Teacher
Education Institutes experienced a slight decrease of 0.7%. These results indicate that the
government put more effort and investment in developing Polytechnics and Community
Colleges, while maintaining the number of Public Universities and Teacher Education Institutes.
This could be due to the need to provide more vocational and technical training to meet the
demands of the job market and to prepare the workforce for the changing economy.

2015-2020

From 2015 to 2020, there was an increase in the number of Community Colleges from 93
to 103, a growth of 10.8%. During the same period, the number of Public Universities remained
constant at 20, indicating no change in this category of higher education institutions. On the
other hand, there was a decrease in the number of Teacher Education Institutes from 28 in 2015
to 27 in 2020, a decline of 3.6%. The number of Polytechnics also saw a decline, falling from 36
in 2015 to 36 in 2020, a drop of 0%. To analyze the data further, we can examine the average
annual growth rate of institutions in each category during this five-year period. The average
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annual growth rate of Community Colleges was 2.16%, while the average annual growth rate of
Teacher Education Institutes was -0.72%.

The average annual growth rate of Public Universities was 0%, indicating no change in
this category. The average annual growth rate of Polytechnics was 0%, indicating no change in
this category as well. Finally, the number of Public Universities in Malaysia has remained
unchanged at 20 institutions over the past 21 years. While this reflects a stable higher education
sector, it also highlights the need for Malaysia to increase its investment in public universities to
ensure their competitiveness and to meet the growing demand for higher education in the
country.

Conclusion

The data shows that Malaysia's higher education sector has experienced substantial
growth and development over the past 21 years, with the number of Polytechnics and
Community Colleges increasing significantly. This growth and development are indicative of
Malaysia's efforts to meet the changing needs of its labor market and to ensure its
competitiveness in a rapidly changing global economy.