How different would the Malaysia's local SPM syllabus be compared to Cambridge's IGCSE secondary education
IGCSE VS SPM
As the education market becomes increasingly competitive, parents are searching for the best schools to provide their children with a top-tier education. In Malaysia, the government offers highly subsidized education through public high schools, also known as “Sekolah Kebangsaan.” However, critics have pointed out several issues that affect the quality of education provided by these schools. As a result, the popularity of international schools is growing rapidly across Malaysia. Several factors impact the quality of education offered by both types of schools.
a simple table comparison
| Criteria | IGCSE | SPM |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | International curriculum based on British education system | Malaysian national curriculum |
| Examining board | Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) | Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) |
| Assessment format | Exams, coursework, and practical assessments | Exams only |
| Exam structure | Mostly external exams at the end of the course | End-of-course exams, with some school-based assessment |
| Grading system | Letter grades (A* to G) and numerical grades (9 to 1) | Grades from A+ to G, with scores ranging from 1 to 9 |
| Recognition | Widely recognized and accepted worldwide | Recognized primarily in Malaysia and Southeast Asia |
| Language of instruction | Primarily in English | Primarily in Bahasa Malaysia (Malay language) |
Syllabus
Generally, most International schools offer IGCSE syllabuses which is endorsed by the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) which offer a huge variety of subjects.
CAMBRIDGE IGCSE
- Each subjects are tailored to ensure students are tested with a variety of skills required and prepares them with skills for their future.
- Most importantly, the IGCSE qualification is recognized by most universities worldwide due to their reputation for having reliable and fair assessments.
SIJIL PELAJARAN MALAYSIA (SPM)
- For government schools in Malaysia, the syllabus offered will be set by the ministry of Education which provides resources to sit for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM)
- Provides for a range of subjects deemed important for students.
- Both qualifications are equally important for the entrance into higher levels of education in university.
Teachers
It is widely agreed that the quality of teachers will be one of the most important factors for the academic progression of a child as they contribute tremendously to what the child learns.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
- Teachers in International schools have specialized training and have adept experience in the teaching field.
- Oftentimes, the international schools may also employ teachers from overseas as they can bring in new effective teaching methods.
GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
- For government schools in Malaysia, there may also be plenty of experienced teachers especially those who have taught for a long period of time.
- Training provided by the government.
- However, teachers may still find it hard to give individual attention to all the students due to large class sizes on 40-50 students. This may have undesirable consequences to the learning process of students.
Subjects
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
- International schools often offer subjects which are not offered by government schools such as art and design, music and so on.
- This allows students in international schools to have a wide variety of choices, allowing them to expand their creativity and progress according to their skills and interests.
GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
- On the other hand, government schools tend to offer only core subjects such as sciences, mathematics and business.
- It is also mandatory for students to take Sejarah (Malaysian History), Islamic studies (for Muslim students), and Moral studies (non-Muslim students).
Peers
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
- Students in International schools tend to have a larger exposure to the outside world as they learn more about global perspectives.
- It is also a common occurrence for international schools to have students from across the globe, allowing for many cultures to be shared together.
GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
- For government schools, the students will be the majority of Malaysian teenagers, which may be a limiting factor accessing perspectives from non-locals.
Examination dates
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
- In Malaysia, IGCSE is held 2 times; one in May-June, and the second in October-November.
- This allows the students to have greater flexibility to choose between whenever they feel ready to take their exams. Students who desire to complete their exams at earlier dates may also progress to the next level of education sooner.
GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
- Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) is strictly only held once a year, usually during the year end.
- This ensures all the students for the particular year takes the same exam at the same date and same time.
- However as of late, SPM dates have been pushed back by a year by the education ministry, stating that students have faced challenges in their studies due to the latest COVID pandemic. This means the 2020 intake has to sit for their exams in 2021, 2021 intake has to sit for their exams in 2022 and so on.
Additional academic help
Despite receiving the most professional academic help from teachers, it is no doubt that most students require assistance in order to unlock higher grades for subjects which are deemed to be challenging.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
- Some international school students who seek to obtain better understanding in their respective subjects may resort to using tuition as a means of assistance.
- At GTG IGCSE tuition center, we are able to assist your child in achieving the highest possible grades.
- We use holistic teaching methods which are both effective and efficient at ensuring your child understands the topics taught.
GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
- It is extremely common for SPM candidates to seek for extra tutoring in order to get a higher score for their exams.
- This may also be partly exacerbated by students not being able to focus or absorb the lessons taught in school partly due to the large class sizes and distractions.