Preparing your children for school: secondary school

There are many options for secondary education – the stage before your child goes to university – with national secondary schools being the main option in Malaysia.

Phew! If you’re still here, congratulations. This series used to cover the education costs for Kindergarten And primary schoolrespectively. This article will now discuss the cost of education at the secondary level.

There are five years in total: Years 1 to 5. Or, if you choose the O-levels route, Years 7 to 11.

At this age, your child will be exposed to even more subjects and classes than at the primary level. However, it is still mandatory for them to take classes in Malay, English, Mathematics, History, Moral Studies (for non-Muslims) or Religious Studies (for Muslims), and Science (which differs for students in science and arts streams).

High school also offers various other subjects for your children to learn.

Government options

There are many government-funded secondary education options. Most of them are free or have a small fee. These include:

• national secondary school;
• fully residential school;
• art school;
• sports school;
• religious secondary schools;
• Mara Junior College of Science;
• vocational schools and technical institutes;
• royal military college;
• government-subsidized religious schools.

This article will focus on the three institutions with the largest number of enrollments: the national secondary school, the religious school, and the vocational colleges and technical institutes.

1. National Secondary School

More commonly known as Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK), these schools primarily use Bahasa Malaysia as the primary medium of instruction. About 90% (or 1.8 million) of Malaysian students attend SMKs.

2. Religious secondary schools

Religious schools come second after SMKs in terms of popularity, accounting for around 5% of total enrollments in 2022.

National Religious Secondary Schools (or Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama, SMKA) are essentially boarding schools. They teach two curricula: the religious streams and the Tahfiz Model Ulul Albab streams.

Government-subsidized religious schools also teach two curricula, namely the integrated Dini and Tahfiz streams.

3. Vocational schools and technical institutes

At this point, your child will probably have an idea of ​​what he or she wants to do in the future. If he or she wants to jump right into his or her field of interest, you might consider sending him or her to a vocational or technical school.

It is quite a popular option today, accounting for about 3% of total secondary school enrollment in Malaysia. This education is actually a “shortcut” to the job market, as the skills acquired are directly acquired by the various Malaysian industries.

Sekolah training techniques allows students to specialize in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields while requiring them to pass the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).

Vocational Schoolwhich is aimed at students who wish to obtain a Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM). For more information, visit This item.

Private options

Private options for secondary education usually involve a higher cost. In general, the government offers five options:

• Chinese private secondary schools;
• international schools;
• expatriate schools;
• academic secondary schools;
• religious secondary schools.

1. Chinese Private High Schools

Last year, about 76,000 students enrolled in Chinese private secondary schools. Students will take the Unified Certificate of Examination (not recognized in Malaysia, but recognized by some institutions abroad) and the SPM.

Tuition fees can range from RM4,550 to RM6,000 per year for schools in Selangor and KL.

International and private schools are a popular option in Malaysia, with around 54,000 students enrolled in these institutions. (Photo by Envato Elements)

2. International and private schools

There is no real difference between the two today. Many private schools are replacing the government curriculum with an international curriculum.

An estimated 54,000 students are enrolled in these schools, which typically offer international programmes such as O-levels. Tuition fees range from RM38,000 to RM44,000 per year, depending on the institution and level of education.

Tax breaks and government assistance

As with primary education, you are eligible to claim up to RM8,000 if you have invested in the National Education Savings Scheme (SSPN) managed by PTPTN.

Meanwhile, the Trust Fund for Disadvantaged Students (KWAPM) still applies to low-income students through year 3.

High school is also the time to start thinking about scholarships, some of which are offered by the Federal Territory Foundation, Johor Foundation for Education and Selangor Foundation.

Costs to watch

Just like primary education, secondary education comes with hidden costs. According to the Department of Statistics, it is estimated that children aged 1 to 14 spend around RM1,141 per month in total on transport (or RM641 for children aged 13 and 14).

Next come the monthly fees for insurance and financial services (RM222), clothing and footwear (RM163) and educational services (RM115). These fees amount to RM1,141 per month.

Since high school results are essential to your child’s higher education, private tutoring will be important. Private tutoring rates can be in the range of RM35-45 per hour, depending on the subject, class size (or personal attention) and other factors.

Depending on the hours, monthly tuition fees can range from RM210 to RM720 per month, the latter totalling RM8,640 per year.

In total, the total hidden costs would be (RM1,141 + RM720) x 12 months x 5 years = RM111,600.

estimated cost

So, the approximate amount you could be looking at is RM111,600 to RM331,660 for five years of secondary education. This assumes hidden costs of RM111,600 if you choose the free government option and RM220,000 for international or private school fees PLUS the hidden cost of RM111,600.

So, just as with preschool and primary education, it is important to weigh your and your child’s options for secondary education – taking into account your own goals and resources – to determine the best educational and career path for your child.

This article was written by Su-Wei Ho for MyPFTo simplify and develop your personal finances, follow MyPF on Facebook And Instagram.

Read more articles from MyPF here.