malaysian/singapore education system

the main difference in the approach towards education in malaysia and singapore, other than the emphasis on different language used in teaching, is the quality of the student intake and output. the malaysian system, affected by political interests, resulted in a levelling down in the academic standards of its products. on the singapore side, because of the emphasis on quality and economic interests, the result is more of a levelling up, catching with the best. outstanding students from neighbouring countries were given scholarships to the schools and universities. and the local students have no choice but to compete with the best foreign students. in malaysia, the best would have to slow down in a cohort made up of many very average students. the best students thus would hardly be challenged and probably got the impression that they were already outstanding with minimal effort. from another perspective, the general perception of all students, including the outstanding students, is the constant doubt whether their good results were real. this kind of image is unhealthy and unfair to the really good students and the whole education system.