Malaysia has some of the finest schools anywhere. These comprise both homegrown and international ones, catering to the specific education requirements of students living in Malaysia. What distinguishes these schools from one another is the curriculum or education system they follow.
While most international schools in Malaysia catering primarily to international students offer the IGCSE curriculum, the local Malaysian schools largely follow the SPM education system which defines the Malaysian Education Certificate.
To the question of whether SPM Malaysia or IGCSE Malaysia is good for a child, the answer is that it depends upon what the child in question is seeking from his or her school education. To get a better picture of the two education systems in terms of what they stand for it makes sense to do an SPM vs IGCSE comparison in terms of SPM subjects, IGCSE subjects, SPM exam and IGCSE exam.
Let us look at these differences in some detail.
- Certification
The IGCSE education system is backed and certified by Cambridge University, UK, and its examination is taken by Malaysian students aged 14 to 16 years or 15 to 17 years. SPM, on the other hand, stands for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia and is the national examination for Form 5 students who have chosen the education system provided by Malaysian government schools. Its examination is taken after 11 years of schooling.
The IGCSE certification is globally accepted by leading universities as well as companies around the world. Some of the best international schools in Malaysia like Regent International School offer this curriculum to their students. In fact, such Cambridge curriculum schools are rated very highly by both expat and local Malaysian parents. One might, in fact, want to enrol today in a school like that. Though the medium of instruction is Bahasa Malaysia in the case of SPM, unlike the universally accepted English in the case of IGCSE, the former examination is recognised in many countries.
- Subjects
When it comes to the choice of subjects, IGCSE has an edge over SPM because it offers more flexibility in terms of not making any subjects compulsory to take the examination. SPM on the other hand requires students to take and pass the Bahasa Malaysia and History tests to be able to obtain their certificate. Additionally, Muslim students are required to study Pendidikan Islam compulsorily, while non-Muslims have to similarly compulsorily take up Pendidikan Moral. As a matter of fact, the IGCSE system encourages students to choose their subjects as per their interests and aptitudes.
- Grading
As far as the SPM system of education is concerned the grades comprise A+, A, A-, B+, B, C+, C, D, E and G. For admission to public universities, the students are required to convert their grades according to a merit point calculation system. The results of this examination have a bearing on studies post the secondary school level including matriculation and foundation certificate as well as diploma programmes.
The grades awarded to students in the IGCSE system are A+, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Anything obtained lower than the lowest grade does not get awarded a grade and is represented by the letter U. There is no need to pass in Bahasa Malaysia and History for one to be awarded a certificate in the case of IGCSE. Instead, their certificates will state the subjects undertaken by the students and the corresponding grades achieved by them.
Conclusion
The choice of an examination system should depend on what it is that a student wants out of his or her schooling. For students in Malaysia both the SPM and IGCSE education systems offer a clear pathway to progressing along their academic journey. While SPM is a good curriculum for those who choose to study at government schools, the IGCSE curriculum is ideal for those going to private schools especially international ones with English as the medium of instruction.
As the SPM curriculum caters to students who have Bahasa Malaysia as their medium of instruction, it cannot serve the educational interests of expat students living in Malaysia or the local Malaysian students who want to go abroad for higher studies or pursue overseas career opportunities. For such students, IGCSE is the ideal curriculum. This is where outstanding international schools like Regent International School play a very important role by ensuring that such students have access to the IGCSE system of education. No wonder it is amongst the most sought-after private international schools in Malaysia.
Going forward one can expect both SPM and IGCSE curricula to continue to play a crucial role in educating the children living in Malaysia – both local and expat ones. Both curricula are just right to meet the precise educational requirements of certain specific types of students. While there may be differences in what the two curricula offer and stand for, they both play an important role in educating the children and young people living in this part of the world.
