When visitors come to Penang, it is always welcoming to know that there will be no problem about language. Almost everyone knows how to speak even a little bit of English, and of course locals will converse with each other in the language that they are comfortable with.
Pre-school
Children as young as 3 years old can speak English pretty well, thanks to eager parents who send their children to nurseries while they work. There are a lot of nurseries and kindergarten in Penang, and children are taught with the intention of being able to be ahead of their peers when they enter primary school. Some are franchise chain and for a while we see these schools for younger children mushroom around residential areas.
Primary and Secondary
In the primary school front, there are national schools using the national language as the main medium, Chinese or Tamil schools using those languages as the main medium and international schools with a different set of curriculum altogether. Many Chinese parents had, over the years, opt to send their children to Chinese medium schools even though it is reputed that Chinese school students have a lot of school homework to do compared to the others. It could be due to the interest of a future economy where it is strongly believed that the Chinese language will become an important medium. However, a small but growing group of people with higher income are sending their children to international schools, especially those who already made plans to migrate to other countries.
The international schools are actually catering mostly to children of expatriates who are working in Penang. Penang is still considered a hub for multinational companies to set up their manufacturing in the Free Industrial Zone, and many still employ foreign expertise especially in the management of technical know-hows in the manufacturing plants. These expatriates come with their families and send their children to the international schools. Some move here for business instead of being hired by multinational companies, while others are here, enticed by the Malaysia, My Second Home (MM2H) programme. The international schools offer education for both primary and secondary school level, just like most national and secular schools in Penang.
Tertiary Education
The private colleges are taking business in their own hands as they expanded their market reach to not only students from other states but also from other countries. It is common to see foreign students in Penang as they enrol in college programmes including ACCA, bachelor degree courses and masters courses. Most colleges offer their programmes to foreign students, and provide support in terms of seeking for accommodation. There are many colleges that may have invested in some apartments within walking distance to the colleges and renting them out to students as hostels because they do not have a proper hostel building for the students. Most will also have notice boards where frequent updates on rental rooms or houses are available for students who needed boarding.
The island's main university, Universiti Sains Malaysia, also accepts foreign students enrolment besides absorbing the nation's candidates. The university includes many blocks of hostel to accommodate the rising student population. However, some students may still prefer to stay out of campus, but still within close proximity of the university, hence they will opt to live in rented apartments nearby. There are a lot of houses and apartments available, surrounded by food stalls and shops. In fact, TESCO is just five minutes away from the university.
Benefits of Studying in Penang
There are a lot of goodness studying in Penang. For one, Penang is a food heaven, where food is cheaply available and delicious. This means affordability for students studying in the state. Everything is available within the confinements of the island, so there is no need to worry about having to travel a long distance just to get something. Everything a student needs is right there, usually within walking distance from the school, college or university.
Even if it is not, the Rapid Bus service that improved tremendously during the last two years is able to transport one easily without much hassle. The bus company executed a short messaging service that inform waiting passengers of when the next bus will arrive at the bus stop. Students may also get a monthly pass.
The colleges and universities especially are equipped with WIFI and Internet services which makes communication easy. For those who prefer using mobile phones, Penang has a lot of mobile phone retailers and outlets selling uploads and SIM cards. Even a simple grocery store may have prepaid upload coupons for sale, and there is no excuse to say that there is not enough funds to make calls home.
There are still a lot of potential growths in the education sector in Penang. Education is naturally an investment which the state government will nurture indefinitely.
I just want to be a stduent in one of your classrooms. It almost feels serendipitous the way it all has come together. I am excited to see what you all are going to do with this and hear the stduent reactions. I hope you will record and share as much as possible!