History of Education in Malaysia

Sekolah pondok or in English is hut school, Madrasah and other Islamic schools were the first type of schooling available in Malaysia. Early works of Malay literature which is Hikayat Abdullah mentioned these schools indicating they pre-date the current secular model of education.

Secular schools in Malaysia were an innovation of what the British colonial government have brought. Many of the earliest schools in Malaysia were founded in the Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore. The oldest English-language school in Malaysia is the Penang Free School, founded in 1816, followed by Malacca High School, and Anglo Chinese School, Klang. Many English-language schools are considered quite prestigious and high class.

British historian Richard O. Winstedt worked to improve the education of the Malays and was the man in charged in establishing Sultan Idris Training College with the purpose of producing Malay teachers. R J Wilkinson helped establish the Malay College Kuala Kangsar in 1905 which which aimed to educate the Malay elite.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Malaysia