From: SSR48327@VAX1.UTULSA.EDU (Syed Shibli)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asean
Subject: Re: Best School in Malaysia
Date: 24 Jul 92 02:06:40 GMT
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goh@nyquist.usc.edu (K.C.Goh) writes:

>However, being a Malaysian, I remain very curious about MCKK
>and the other "government funded established boarding schools",
>not having met many students from there.
>
>1)	Is it very difficult to get a place in MCKK etc ?
>	Do all the best primary school students in Malaysia
>	go to these schools?

  No, it is not very difficult. Just do well on the Primary Five
  Assessment test (things might have changed now; I heard somewhere 
  this test have been superseded by another exam) and maintain
  a fairly excellent Primary School record (top 2 percent).
  When I was admitted to the school in 1981, all but one of the
  students in my class had obtained 5 A's in the Assessment Test.
  The one exception was a student who obtained only 4 A's.  

>	How does one go about getting a place in MCKK, for
>	example ?  Perhaps students from rural areas are
>	given preference ?

  Here's something I would like to see changed: admittance 
  offered to students of all races with the requirement that
  your Primary School academic record is outstanding. As of
  right now, the Malay College only accepts Malay students.
  Admittance based only on merit is something to be sought for.
  Several years ago, the Ministry of Education decried that
  all Government-aided fully residential schools, with the
  EXCEPTION of the Malay College and Tunku Kurshiah College,
  were only to accept students from the rural areas. Students
  from the rural areas are not given preference at the Malay
  College. When I was attending the school, the demographics
  divided down to roughly 50% rural and 50% urban.  

>2)	The newspapers never seem to mention MCKK, TKC or STAR
>	when they report on the best SPM/STPM results.

  They do. 

>	Do students in these schools take different types of
>	exams like the SAT or AEB etc ?  If so, why ?

  No they don't. The only difference is that the English 1119
  exam was mandatory for everyone. Study of a third language is
  also mandatory. My class had a choice between Arabic and Japanese.
  Why? I'm not sure. Then again, why not? Perhaps the English 1119
  exam was required because of the fact that a large proportion
  of each year's graduating class go on to the Oxford-Cambridge
  programs (or maybe other lesser programs) in the United Kingdom.
  There is a decidedly British bias at the Malay College (as to be
  expected). 

>3)	Is it actually an official policy of the Ministry of Education
>	to make these schools "elite" schools by sending them all 
>	the best students and teachers in Malaysia?

  Yes, and I see nothing wrong with it.

-- 
                                              --Syed Shibli
                                                ssr48327@vax1.utulsa.edu
                                                +1 918 631 3257
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asean