In 2015, public spending on education was 5% of Malaysia’s GDP. Under the national education system, the government provides 11 years of free primary and secondary education via a common national curriculum. Further education is subject to the individual’s academic performance and financial capability with school leavers choosing to continue their education in schools to obtain a pre-university qualification, or further their education at public or private tertiary or higher education institutions. The Government has put in place numerous pro- grammes and framework with the aim of becoming a development nation by 2020. This includes the 11th Malaysia Plan and National Transformation Policy. Under Malaysia’s Economic Transformation Plan (ETP), the economy is forecast to reach £266 billion by 2020. Education has been identified as one of the 12 National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) in the ETP.
