Increasing Access to and Retention in Primary Education in Malaysia 151
of qualified professionals (e.g., occupational therapists). Additionally,
while tailored curriculum for certain groups has been developed (e.g., the
Bahasa Isyarat Komunikasi for deaf students), this has yet to be achieved
for children with other disabilities such as autism.
QUALITY OF EDUCATION, 1980–2010
Access and retention cannot be separated from the quality of primary
schooling in Malaysia. One indicator of educational quality — an input — is
the student-teacher ratio. As shown in Figure 6.5, this indicator improved
between 1970 and 2010; that is, it decreased from approximately thirty to
less than fourteen during this period.
Another indicator of educational quality is students’ performance on
the national examination (Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah or UPSR) taken at
the end of year 6 of primary school. Students in national schools are tested
in four subjects: Malay (Comprehension and Writing), English, Mathematics
and Science. Students in national-type schools are also examined in Chinese
(Comprehension and Writing) or Tamil (Comprehension and Writing).
FIGURE 6.5
Primary School Student-Teacher Ratio, 1970–2010Source: UNESCO, Institute for Statistics.
051015202530351970 1978 1981 1984 1988 1991 1994 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010