Editing Demographics of Malaysia (section)

===Primary education===
Children begin primary schooling at the age of seven for a period of six years. Primary schools are divided into two categories, national primary schools and vernacular school.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mustafa |first=Shazwan |url=http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malay-groups-want-vernacular-schools-abolished/ |title=Malay groups want vernacular schools abolished |newspaper=The Malaysian Insider |date=22 August 2010 |access-date=18 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100825032917/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malay-groups-want-vernacular-schools-abolished |archive-date=25 August 2010 }}</ref> Vernacular schools (''Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan'') use either Chinese or Tamil as the medium of instruction, whereas national primary schools (''Sekolah Kebangsaan'') uses Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction for subjects except English, Science and Mathematics.

[[File:Overfloor and Big Tree, Malay College.jpg|thumb|alt=Part of the Malay College Kuala Kangsar buildings with its football field in the foreground.|[[Malay College Kuala Kangsar]] (MCKK) is one of the earliest boarding schools established in [[British Malaya]].]]
Before progressing to the secondary level of education, pupils in Year 6 are required to sit the Primary School Achievement Test (''[[Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah]]'', UPSR).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.malaysia.gov.my/EN/Relevant%20Topics/Education%20and%20Learning/Non%20Citizen/nTheNationalEducationSystem/nPrimaryEducation/Pages/PrimarySchoolEducation.aspx |title=Primary School Education |publisher=Malaysia.gov.my |access-date=26 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511144745/http://www.malaysia.gov.my/EN/Relevant%20Topics/Education%20and%20Learning/Non%20Citizen/nTheNationalEducationSystem/nPrimaryEducation/Pages/PrimarySchoolEducation.aspx |archive-date=11 May 2011 }}</ref> A programme called First Level Assessment (''Penilaian Tahap Satu'', PTS) taken during Primary Year 3 was abolished in 2001.