Based on a targeted in-app survey involving 929 respondents, primarily from middle-class Malay families, the study found that 69% of respondents cited academic performance as their top reason for choosing SJKCs.
“Parents ranked ‘academic reputation’ as the most important factor when choosing a school for their children, whereas the least important factor was the language of instruction,” said political analyst and visiting fellow James Chai, who authored the report for the Singapore-based research institution.
“Location and discipline factored more importantly than school facilities,” he said.
Chai added that even when SJKCs offered only basic amenities, two-thirds of parents still preferred them over national schools.
“This preference likely indicates a declining perception of academic quality in national schools among Malay parents.”
The study also found that many parents would choose a national school if it had a better academic reputation than an SJKC, “even though the latter may have better discipline, facilities, and is closer to home”.
This shift in preference among Malay parents, Chai said, reflected the rising enrolment of non-Chinese students in SJKCs, which reportedly jumped from just 3%-6% in the 1990s to nearly 20% by 2020.
In February, it was reported that a Chinese school in Arau, Perlis, raised eyebrows with an “all non-Chinese” pupil enrolment for Year One this year.
He said as Chinese pupil numbers continued to decline, partly due to demographic changes and the growth of private international schools, many SJKCs were adapting to remain relevant.
These adjustments included offering halal food, Islamic religious classes and bilingual communication to cater to their more diverse student base, Chai said.
With more Malays attending SJKCs, Chai said calls to abolish vernacular schools might lose momentum, with the strong academic reputation of SJKCs acting as a buffer against criticism.
“However, this will bring us to a larger existential question for the Chinese community. This concerns whether preserving vernacular schools at the expense of their core cultural mission represents a genuine victory or a hidden loss,” he concluded.
The full ISEAS report, titled “Malaysia’s Chinese Primary Schools: Saved Yet Threatened by Rising Inflows of Malay Students”, was published today.