Malaysia Opens Mandarin Classes to National Secondary Schools, Plans 200 Teachers in 2025

At least 15 parents can set a Mandarin class in motion

Malaysia's Education Ministry has reaffirmed that national secondary schools can offer Chinese language classes when at least 15 parents request them, with plans to recruit 200 new teachers for the subject in 2025. The policy applies to every Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK), giving families a route to seek Mandarin lessons within the national school system.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said access would be open regardless of race, status or background. Schools can introduce the subject when demand reaches the threshold and they can arrange teachers and lesson times. The ministry has pledged to support schools taking up the option.

The recruitment target comes with a condition: appointments will depend on the strength of applications and where schools need teachers most. As of November 1, 2025, the commitment is a plan to recruit 200 teachers; a completed appointment total and a timetable for individual schools were not given.

The opportunity extends beyond selected districts or schools where Chinese students form a majority. Any SMK receiving valid requests can seek to put the subject on its timetable. Students from all ethnic groups, from Form 1 through Form 5, can participate.

Bahasa Melayu remains the language of instruction in national schools, with English taught as a second language. Many schools already provide Arabic, while selected schools use the Dual Language Program to teach science and mathematics in English. Mandarin would be an optional subject within that wider system, with its availability shaped by family demand and school capacity.

What the threshold means for families

Parents can begin by gathering at least 15 requests and submitting them to the principal, usually through the Parent Teacher Association. The threshold follows the Education Act 1996 and gives schools a clear starting point for planning a class, seeking staff and finding space in the timetable.

Schools may schedule Mandarin during the normal school day or after regular lessons, depending on teacher availability and clashes with other subjects. Families therefore need to discuss both access and scheduling with the school. Meeting the demand threshold starts the process; staffing and lesson arrangements remain practical parts of making it work.

Students seeking an examination qualification can sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Chinese Language paper, already part of the national examination system, at the end of Form 5. Where a school provides a communication track, students interested primarily in using the language can pursue classroom learning and school assessments.

National primary schools already offer a familiar example. Several run Mandarin and Tamil classes when enough requests arrive. The secondary school policy gives families similar clarity as their children move through the education system, while keeping the minimum group size within reach of smaller communities.

Dr Anuar Ahmad, deputy director at the Malaysian Inclusive Development and Advancement Institute at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, described how demand already triggers language classes in certain schools. He referred to the number of students, while the ministry's stated request threshold is at least 15 parents.

If there are 15 students, then Mandarin and Tamil classes will be opened. The education system does celebrate the existence of languages other than Malay, English and Arabic.

His explanation places the secondary school option within an existing practice of responding to families seeking languages beyond the subjects commonly available. A predictable threshold also helps schools estimate class sizes and staffing needs.

Why interest extends across communities

Chinese primary schools have seen a steady increase in enrolment from other ethnic groups over the past decade. By 2020, about one in five pupils in these schools came from non Chinese communities. Many were Malay, and some schools recorded a majority of Malay pupils.

Parents have been drawn by school ethos and discipline, alongside the practical value they attach to Mandarin. Business, engineering, healthcare and public service are among the fields in which families see opportunities for children who can communicate in the language.

Chinese schools have also adapted to a more diverse intake. Many provide halal food, prayer rooms and communication with parents in two languages. These arrangements help families navigate school life while accommodating the needs of children from different backgrounds.

Malay students have achieved success in these environments, including a Malay head student at a Chinese school in Penang. Such experiences form part of the wider interest in language learning across communities.

Students moving from Chinese primary schools into national secondary schools may want to continue studying Mandarin. Classes in SMK would let them remain at their neighbourhood national school while maintaining that learning. As this cohort advances, demand for the subject within the national system is likely to grow.

Requests can also bring together parents from different backgrounds. The policy allows any interested student to participate, so a group reaching the threshold need not come from a single ethnic community. That shared effort can help establish classrooms where learning another language supports respect across cultures.

Equal access and mutual understanding

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, in her official reply to Parliament, framed the policy around equal educational access and a fair chance for children to learn languages useful to their future.

We remain committed to providing balanced access to education regardless of race, status or background.

Her commitment applies nationwide. Schools with sufficient demand can pursue the subject regardless of their location or the ethnic composition of their pupils, while the ministry's support is intended to help translate requests into classes.

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man also urged national schools to provide space for Mandarin and Tamil. He presented language learning as a way for children from different communities to understand one another.

Can we introduce Tamil and Mandarin as subjects in national schools so that our children can learn and understand each other?

The two priorities, access and mutual understanding, meet in the classroom. Families gain another language choice within public education, and students can learn a language used by people beyond their own community. Bahasa Melayu continues to serve as the language of unity, alongside English as the key international language.

What multilingual skills can offer students

Mandarin can complement Bahasa Melayu and English in higher education, trade and regional employment. Malaysia has deep trading ties with China, while Malaysian companies also work with customers and suppliers who speak Chinese across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Engineering teams, exporters, tourism operators, healthcare providers and technology firms value staff able to move between Bahasa Melayu, English and Mandarin. Graduates with those skills can help colleagues communicate across teams and reduce misunderstandings during projects.

Language learning also gives students access to literature and ideas that can be difficult to translate. Reading in more than one language broadens the material a child can explore and supports understanding of other cultures.

Research on bilingual education links it with improved executive function, better focus and resilience in learning. Executive function means the mental skills used to manage attention, organise tasks and control responses. Parents choosing Mandarin often cite academic benefits alongside future career goals.

Malaysia is also expanding elective language choices to include Thai, Khmer and Vietnamese. Leaders have argued that young people who know several languages and understand their region can help strengthen ties across ASEAN. Mandarin in national secondary schools fits within that broader approach, while preserving the central roles of Bahasa Melayu and English.

For families whose children already study Mandarin, the secondary school option offers continuity without leaving the national school network. For new learners, it creates a route to begin acquiring the language within their existing school.

Recruiting and placing the 200 planned teachers

The Education Ministry's plan to hire 200 Chinese language teachers in 2025 depends on applications and school needs in each state. Teacher education institutes and universities with Chinese language programmes supply candidates, while existing teachers can apply for transfers to schools opening new classes.

Placement priorities normally follow vacancy lists submitted by state education departments. Schools that identify demand early are more likely to receive postings in time to organise their timetables. Early requests therefore help schools connect parent interest with the staffing process.

Teacher supply can be tight in rural districts and urban corridors experiencing rapid growth. Schools can work with district education offices to share teachers across nearby campuses or bring smaller classes together at a common venue. Those arrangements allow schools to pool teaching capacity when a teacher cannot be assigned to each campus.

Digital tools can help cover short gaps, but classroom teaching remains central to a subject requiring practice in listening, speaking, reading and writing. New teachers also need mentoring, suitable teaching materials and time to plan lessons together.

Schools should align lessons with national Chinese Language standards under the Secondary School Standard Curriculum. Quality matters alongside the number of classes opened: students need teaching that develops their language skills and fits the national curriculum.

Materials must also suit different starting levels. Some students will arrive with years of Mandarin study, while others will be beginners. Training in teaching groups with different abilities and using practical assessments can help teachers support both without discouraging either group.

Building lessons around different starting points

Each school will design its own timetable. Many can place Mandarin within the normal school day once a teacher is assigned. Others may begin with lessons after school if the regular timetable has no suitable space.

The first cohort's size will help determine how students are grouped. Larger schools can offer separate classes for beginners and continuing learners. Smaller schools may start with one group containing different ability levels during the first year while they build enrolment.

Beginners may need bridging lessons to develop basic reading, writing and conversational skills before moving into the main syllabus. Students with prior experience need work suited to their existing knowledge. Matching lessons to both groups is part of making the subject useful to everyone who enrols.

Students aiming for certification can prepare for SPM Chinese Language at the end of Form 5 where the school provides examination preparation. Students seeking practical communication can work toward classroom outcomes assessed by the school, where that learning track is offered.

Parents should therefore ask which route the school intends to provide, as well as when classes will run. Progress updates and suggestions for practice at home can help families support their children between lessons.

Schools also need to protect time for other learning. Mandarin classes must fit alongside existing subjects, science laboratory sessions and activities outside regular lessons. A workable timetable allows students to continue language study without avoidable conflicts elsewhere in their school day.

Keeping access fair as classes develop

Schools opening Mandarin classes will need to sustain enrolment as students advance from one Form to the next. Clear communication with parents and regular outreach to families entering Form 1 can help maintain the numbers needed for continuing classes.

Small towns may face particular difficulty attracting qualified teachers. Incentives for postings, travel support when teachers serve groups of nearby schools and careful matching of staff to vacancies can help address that pressure.

Textbooks and classroom resources also need attention. Alumni groups, community organisations and Parent Teacher Associations can support schools while formal budgets catch up with demand. Materials must remain suitable for the curriculum and for students at different proficiency levels.

Urban areas may generate requests first, but rural families should have the same pathway when numbers meet the requirement. Transparent criteria, a straightforward request process and periodic updates from district education offices can help families understand how their requests will be handled.

Tamil, Arabic and other language requests should receive the same clarity so that communities are not left feeling overlooked. The policy's promise of broad access depends on understandable processes as well as the availability of teachers.

Families can contribute by staying involved after a class opens. Maintaining interest as cohorts progress, communicating with the school and supporting new intake families can help turn an initial request into a continuing programme.

The law behind the language option

The Education Act 1996 establishes Bahasa Melayu as the main medium of instruction in national schools while allowing other languages to be taught when there is demand. That legal space supports Chinese language classes in SMK within the national curriculum.

Malaysia has long maintained several types of primary school, including publicly funded Chinese and Tamil national type schools. Parents choose these schools for their language of teaching and for perceived school quality. National secondary school Mandarin classes provide an optional subject within a different school setting.

In 2024, the Federal Court upheld the constitutionality of vernacular schools. Debate about social cohesion continues, while Chinese and Tamil education has an affirmed legal footing. The Mandarin option in SMK keeps Bahasa Melayu as the main medium and gives students another subject they can choose.

The Dual Language Program provides another example of Malaysia's language policies, allowing selected schools to teach certain subjects in English. It has raised concerns about equity and consistency between schools. Mandarin classes follow a targeted approach based on parent choice, a demand threshold and school capacity.

The key dates show how the current plan sits alongside the legal framework and changing school enrolment:

• 1996: The Education Act set the framework for Bahasa Melayu as the main medium in national schools and the teaching of other languages where there is demand.
• 2020: About one in five pupils in Chinese primary schools came from other ethnic groups.
• 2024: The Federal Court upheld the constitutionality of vernacular schools.
• 2025: The Education Ministry planned to recruit 200 new Chinese language teachers and reaffirmed access to classes in national secondary schools.

How parents can organise a request

Parents seeking a class should organise interest early enough for the school to plan staffing and lessons for the next academic year. A joint request gives the principal a clear picture of how many students want the subject and which Forms they attend.

• Gather at least 15 parents who want their children to study Mandarin at the school.
• Submit a joint request to the principal, preferably through the Parent Teacher Association, including student names and Forms.
• Ask the school to forward the request to the district education office so a teacher can be posted or assigned.
• Discuss whether lessons can take place during the school day or at an agreed time after regular classes.
• Confirm whether the school will provide SPM Chinese Language preparation or a communication track for beginners.
• Keep in contact with the school so enrolment stays above the requirement as students move through the Forms.

Schools should keep the subject open to every interested student. Parents from different backgrounds can make up the group of 15 requests together, reflecting the principle that the language belongs to all communities in Malaysia.

The practical task is to bring demand, teacher availability, suitable materials and lesson times together. A clear request begins that work; continued cooperation between families, schools and education offices helps classes take root.

What to Know

• Any national secondary school can pursue Chinese language classes when at least 15 parents request them.
• The policy follows the Education Act 1996 and is open to students of all backgrounds from Form 1 through Form 5.
• The ministry plans to recruit 200 Chinese language teachers in 2025, with appointments depending on applications and school needs.
• Schools will arrange lessons during or after the school day according to staffing and timetable capacity.
• Students can prepare for SPM Chinese Language or pursue practical communication where their school provides the relevant track.
• About one in five pupils in Chinese primary schools came from other ethnic groups by 2020, supporting interest in continued language study.
• Schools must manage teacher placement, enrolment, resources and students with different levels of prior learning.
• Bahasa Melayu remains the main medium of instruction, while Mandarin expands optional language learning within the national system.