Phew! If you are still here, kudos to you. This series previously covered the education costs for kindergarten and primary school, respectively. Now, this article will address the education cost at the secondary level.
There are five years in total: Form 1 to Form 5. Or, if you opt for the O-levels pathway, Years 7 to 11.
At this age, your child will be exposed to even more subjects and courses compared to primary level. However, it is still compulsory for them to take Bahasa Malaysia, English, maths, history, moral studies (for non-Muslims) or religious studies (for Muslims), and science (which differs for science- and arts-stream students).
Secondary school also offers various other subjects for your children to learn.
Government options
There are many secondary-school options funded by the government. Most of them are free or incur minimal charges. These include:
- national secondary school;
- fully residential school;
- art school;
- sports school;
- religious secondary schools;
- Mara science junior college;
- vocational colleges and technical institutes;
- royal military college;
- government aided religious schools.
This article will cover the three with the highest enrolment: national secondary school, religious school, and vocational colleges and technical institutes.
1. National secondary school
More commonly known as Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK), these primarily consist of schools that use Bahasa Malaysia as the main teaching language. About 90% (or 1.8 million) of students in Malaysia go to SMKs.
2. Religious secondary schools
Religious schools come in second after SMKs in terms of popularity, comprising about 5% of total enrolments in 2022.
National religious secondary schools (or Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama, SMKA) are essentially boarding schools. They teach two curriculums – religious and Tahfiz Model Ulul Albab streams.
Government-assisted religious schools also teach two curriculums, namely Dini and Tahfiz Integrated streams.
3. Vocational colleges and technical institutes
By this time, your child will probably have some idea of what he or she wants to do in the future. Should they wish to jump straight into their area of interest, you could consider sending them to a vocational college and technical institute.
It is a fairly popular option now, comprising about 3% of total secondary school enrolment in Malaysia. This education is essentially a “short cut” to the job market, as the skills you gain are directly acquired by the various Malaysian industries.
Sekolah Menengah Teknik allows students to specialise in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields while requiring them to sit for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).
Vocational college, which is geared for students who want to achieve a Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM). Find out more in this article.
Private options
The private options for secondary school usually involve a higher cost. Generally, there are five options outlined by the government:
- Chinese private secondary schools;
- international schools;
- expatriate schools;
- academic secondary schools;
- religious secondary schools.
1. Chinese private secondary schools
About 76,000 students enrolled in Chinese private secondary schools last year. Students will take the Unified Examination Certificate (not recognised in Malaysia, but recognised by some institutions overseas) and SPM.
Tuition fees could range from RM4,550 to RM6,000 per year for schools in Selangor and KL.
2. International and private schools
There isn’t much distinction between these two these days. Many private schools are changing their offerings from the government syllabus to an international syllabus.
There are an estimated 54,000 students enrolled in these schools, which typically offer international syllabus such as O-levels. Tuition rates range from RM38,000 to RM44,000 a year, depending on the institution and level of education.
Tax relief and government assistance
Similar to primary schooling, you are eligible to claim up to RM8,000 if you have invested into the National Education Savings Scheme (SSPN) managed by PTPTN.
Meanwhile, the Underprivileged Student Trust Fund (KWAPM) still applies to low-income students up to Form 3.
Secondary school is also the time to start thinking about scholarships, some of which are offered by the Federal Territory Foundation, Johor Education Foundation, and Selangor Foundation.
Costs to look out for
Similar to primary schooling, there are hidden costs associated with secondary education. According to the statistics department, it is estimated that children aged 1-14 spend about RM1,141 per month in total on transport (or RM641 for ages 13 and 14).
Then there are monthly costs for insurance and financial services (RM222), clothing and footwear (RM163), and education services (RM115). These add up to RM1,141 a month.
As secondary school results are key to your child’s tertiary education, tuition classes will be important. Tuition rates might fall in the region of RM35-RM45 per hour, depending on the subject, size of class (or personal attention), and other factors.
Depending on the hours, tuition costs per month could range from RM210 to RM720 per month – the latter adding up to RM8,640 per year.
All in all, the total hidden costs would be (RM1,141+ RM720) x 12 months x 5 years = RM111,600.
Estimated cost
Hence, the ballpark figure you would be looking at is RM111,600 to RM331,660 for five years of secondary education. This assumes hidden costs of RM111,600 if you take the free government option, and RM220,000 for international or private school tuition fees PLUS the hidden cost of RM111,600.
So, just as with kindergarten and primary education, it’s important to weigh your and your child’s options when it comes to secondary education – taking into account one’s own goals and resources – to determine the best educational and career pathway for your child.
This article was written by Su-Wei Ho for MyPF. To simplify and grow your personal finances, follow MyPF on Facebook and Instagram.
Read more articles from MyPF here.