K to 12 Education

Program in South Korea

and Malaysia
Objectives:
At the end of presentation, students will be able to
understand;
1. The k-12 Program in South Korea
2. The k-12 Program in Malaysia; and
3. Learn what is K-12 Program Education
 K to 12 Education Program?
• The K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten and 12 years of
basic education (six years of primary education, four years
of Junior High School, and two years of Senior High School
[SHS]) to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts
and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates
for tertiary education, middle-level skills development,
employment, and entrepreneurship.
 K-12 Education in South Korea

South Korea follows a 6-3-3 system. Compulsory education in South

Korea lasts for 9 years and includes six years of primary education,
followed by 3 years of lower secondary education (Middle school) and
then upper secondary education imparted by High school that is not
compulsory and lasts for 3 years. South Korean schools follow a
national curriculum that is created by the Ministry of Education,
Science and Technology (MEST).
 K-12 Education in South Korea
Primary Education
Primary Education in South Korea is compulsory and free. It is also called as elementary
education. Students at the age of 6 enter the elementary/primary schools or Chodeung-hakgyo.
Primary education focuses on developing the fundamental skills that will be needed by children
throughout their lives.
Grades: 1-6
Duration: 6 years
Age: 6-12 years old
• Curriculum: Moral education, Korean language, mathematics, physical education, music, social
studies, fine arts, ethics, science, and practical arts. English is taught at the grade 3.
 K-12 Education in South Korea
Middle School
Middle School in South Korea is compulsory and free. After the completion of the
elementary/primary schools, students have to attend Middle School. It is compulsory to attend
Middle School or jung-hakgyo in South Korea. Middle Schools establish a strong academic footing.
Grades: 7-9
Duration: 3 years
Age: 12-15 years old
• Curriculum: Consists of 12 basic or core subjects, along with the electives, and extracurricular
activities.
 K-12 Education in South Korea
High School
The Upper Secondary education is imparted by the High schools in South Korea. The high
schools aim to nurture the student’s personality and ability needed to protect and strengthen the
backbone of the country. The high schools in South Korea develop students’ knowledge, social
and intellectual skills, critical thinking abilities, and prepares them for the job market. The
Upper secondary education in South Korea is provided by- academic/general; vocational; and
special purpose or specialised high schools.
Grades: 10-12
Duration: 3 years
• Age: 15-18 years old
High Schools in South Korea are of 3 kinds-

• Academic/General High Schools

• Vocational High Schools
• Special Purpose or Specialised High Schools
 Academic/General High Schools
General/academic high schools in South Korea provide advanced general education along with
elective courses, which students choose based on their intended university course/program. In
academic high schools, during the last 2 years, students may select their specialization area-
Humanities or Sciences. In the 1st year of the high school, i.e. grade 10, the curriculum covers 10
compulsory subjects and 10 elective courses. It is basically general education.
The 10 compulsory subjects are: English, Korean language, ethics, social studies and Korean
history music, mathematics, physical education, science, technology and home economics, and
fine arts.
• At the completion of the General/Academic High School, student receives a Senior High
School Certificate.
 Vocational High Schools

• Vocational high schools focus on specific

occupational areas, such as agriculture, commerce,
technology, and fishery. Admission is based on the
middle school scores or entrance exam. After the
completion of the vocational high school, students
get a Vocational High School Certificate.
 Special Purpose or Specialised High
Schools
• Specialised high schools provide education in the following areas: arts and
music, foreign language, athletics, and the sciences.
• School Year
• The academic year in South Korean schools is split into 2 semesters-
• The first semester commences at the beginning of March and continues until
mid-July.
• The second semester commences at the end of August and runs through
until mid-February.
 K-12 Education in Malaysia
• The Ministry of Education has the responsibility for
providing education at the pre-tertiary stage which includes
the k12 education system in this nation. This includes pre-
school, primary, secondary as well as post secondary level of
education.
 National Education System in
Malaysia
• As per the system of national education, a child’s education commences
at pre-school when he/she is 4 years old. There is a 6 year mandatory
primary education when a child attains the age of 6. Apart from
government or public aided schools, there are also many private schools
in Malaysia. 11 years of free primary as well as secondary education are
provided by public schools. Fee is charged by private as well as global
international schools. Primary education is compulsory for all students
in Malaysia. Children aged 7 to 12 years can register as well as enroll
in primary schools.
 Pre-Tertiary Education Structure in
Malaysia
As per the Education Act 1996, pre-tertiary education for school aged
children exists at 4 levels namely:
Level 1 which is Pre-School (for 4-6 year olds)
Level 2 which is Primary School (Standards 1 to 6 for 6 years from age 7-12)
Level 3 which is Secondary School (Ages 13-17 and Form 1-5 for 5 years)
• Level 4 which is Post Secondary School (From Age 18 onwards and Sixth
Form/Matriculation for 1 to 2 years)
 Pre-school Education
• This is part of the system of national education. Children commence education at
preschools/kindergartens from ages of 4 to 6. Providers of pre-school education
are kindergartens readily available in Malaysia. These schools are formed by
government agencies, NGOs and the private sector. Leading government
agencies providing preschool education comprise Ministry of Education,
Ministry of Rural Development plus several other state level departments.
• Kindergartens have been mandated to adopt Pre-School Curriculum which is
national and established by the Ministry. This curriculum gives pre-school
children a chance to develop their personality and communication skills.
 Primary Education
National curriculum for primary schools or Primary School Integrated
Curriculum/Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Rendah is mandatory This
education curriculum is divided into two phases namely Grade 1 to 3
and Grade 4 to 6. At the time of Phase 1, the stress is on strong reading,
writing as well as mathematical skills
• Students must then sit for the common public examination referred to
as Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah /Primary School Achievement
Test at the end of their primary education.
 Secondary Education
• After primary education, students are promoted to secondary level
education for around 5 years. The education at these schools is free
but not compulsory/mandatory. Two categories of secondary schools
are there namely
• National Secondary Schools and
• Secondary Schools of other kinds.
Secondary education is divided further into upper and lower.
There is also a transition programme called Remove Class for
students from National Type Chinese and Tamil Primary
School. This is for students who could not pass common
public exams. Different levels of secondary education include
the following:
Lower secondary level ( Grade 1 to 3, ages 13 to 15): This is
oriented for general education
• Upper Secondary Level (Grade 4 to 5, ages 16 to 17): for
segmenting students into different categories such as arts,
science etc.
 Different types of upper secondary schools
exist namely:
• Academic Secondary Schools: students in these schools study broad academic
topics. This includes core, mandatory/compulsory and elective subjects various
categories such as arts and scienceT
• Technical Schools: These schools offer education pertaining to 3 areas namely
technical, vocational and skills. Students following the technical stream can opt
for core subjects of the upper secondary school curriculum and choose science or
technical subjects as electives. They can also opt for careers in these fields later.
Vocational education provides pre-employment aptitude and skills. Students can
then opt for higher studies at community colleges, polytechnics and such like.
 National Religious Secondary
• Schools: Also known as Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama, such
schools offer Islamic Religious Education as well as Arabic Studies.
Subjects pertaining to science and technology are also taught.
Compulsory/core subjects include Al-Quran study, Tasawwur Islam and
Syariah Islamiah study to name a few. School students can also opt for
elective subjects such as arts, pure science, technology, IT and languages.
• Special Education Schools: These are schools for children who have
special needs or are visually impaired.
• Upper Secondary Education: Upper secondary level is associated with
open certification. Here, students study 6 common core/fundamental
subjects and a massive range of electives based on their choice. After 2
years of these studies, students take on common public examination-
Malaysia Certificate of Education/Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia Open
Certification Examination.
Thank you!