Editing Penang (section)

== Education ==
[[File:Main gate at the Universiti Sains Malaysia.jpg|thumb|[[Universiti Sains Malaysia]], Malaysia's second oldest tertiary institution, was founded in 1969.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2014 |title=Greater Kuala Lumpur: ASEAN's rising hub for talent and innovation |url=https://www.investkl.gov.my/clients/asset_28B5D799-69B3-4BCB-B61B-D284619547A3/uploads/Greater_KL_ASEAN_rising_hub_for_talent_and_innovation.pdf |journal=[[Deloitte]] }}</ref>]] [[File:Cmglee Penang Free School main gate.jpg|thumb|[[Penang Free School]], founded in 1816, is the oldest English school in Southeast Asia.]]{{Main|Education in Penang}}{{See also|List of schools in Penang}}As with the rest of Malaysia, Penang's education system falls under the purview of the [[Government of Malaysia|federal government]].<ref name="Constitution" /> While [[Malay language|Malay]] and [[British English|English]] are mandatory subjects in all schools, vernacular schools are also permitted to use either [[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]] or [[Tamil language|Tamil]] as the medium of instruction.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Azman |first=Hazita |title=Implementation and Challenges of English Language Education Reform in Malaysian Primary Schools |url=https://journalarticle.ukm.my/10728/1/13527-44195-1-PB.pdf |journal=Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies |date=2016 |publisher=[[National University of Malaysia]] |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=65–78 |doi=10.17576/3L-2016-2203-05 }}</ref> Penang's literacy rate is the third highest in Malaysia after [[Kuala Lumpur]] and [[Selangor]], standing at 99.5% {{As of|2014|lc=y}}.<ref name="UN-2016">{{Cite journal |date=January 2016 |title=Malaysia Millennium Development Goals Report 2015 |url=http://un.org.my/upload/undp_mdg_report_2015.pdf |journal=[[United Nations]] |access-date=24 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827142907/http://un.org.my/upload/undp_mdg_report_2015.pdf |archive-date=27 August 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Moreover, Penang's [[Human Development Index]] (HDI) value of 0.839 is also [[List of Malaysian states by Human Development Index|the highest among Malaysian states]].<ref name="MHDI 2024" />

Penang is home to 49 tertiary institutions (including universities, colleges, medical colleges, industrial training institutes and teaching schools), 13 international and expatriate schools, 128 secondary schools, 271 primary schools and 609 kindergartens.<ref name="InvestPenang-2011">{{Cite journal |date= |title=List of Institutes of Higher Learning |url=https://investpenang.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/List-of-Institutes-of-Higher-Learning_-13-July-1.pdf |journal=Invest Penang |access-date=9 December 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title=Penang Statistics Quarter 2, 2020 |url=https://penanginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/jml/files/quarterly_penang_statistics/2020/PQS-Q22020.pdf |journal=Penang Institute }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=27 November 2023 |title=My Local Stats Pulau Pinang 2021 |journal=[[Department of Statistics Malaysia]] |issn=2636-9001 }}</ref> [[George Town, Penang|George Town]] is home to some of Malaysia's oldest schools. Established in 1816, [[Penang Free School]] (PFS) is the oldest English school in [[Southeast Asia]]. British colonial rule had also encouraged the growth of [[mission school]]s in George Town such as [[St. Xavier's Institution]], [[St. George's Girls' School]] and [[Methodist Boys' School, Penang|Methodist Boys' School]].<ref name="Ooi-2015" />

Penang is also a pioneer in Malaysia's present-day Chinese education system, with the establishment of its first Chinese school in 1819.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ang |first=Ming Chee |date=2009 |title=The Chinese Education Movement in Malaysia |url=https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5788242/4360398 |journal=[[Lund University]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Vivien Wong |date=2017 |title=The Language Medium Policies: A Study on the Development of Independent Chinese Secondary Schools (ICSS) in Malaysia |journal=[[University of Malaya]] }}</ref> Prominent Chinese schools in the state include [[Chung Ling High School]], [[Penang Chinese Girls' High School]], [[Heng Ee High School]] and [[Jit Sin High School]], among others. In addition, George Town has 13 international and expatriate schools that offer either British, American or [[International Baccalaureate]] syllabuses.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Beh |first=May Ting |date=19 October 2023 |title=Imagine an Education Hub: Leveraging Penang's International School Ecosystem |url=https://penanginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Education-Hub.pdf |journal=Penang Institute }}</ref>

[[Universiti Sains Malaysia]] (USM) is the premier public university in Penang. {{As of|2025}}, it is ranked 146th in the [[QS World University Rankings]], third in Malaysia after [[University of Malaya|Universiti Malaya]] and [[National University of Malaysia|Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia]].<ref>{{Cite news |date= |title=QS World University Rankings 2025: Top global universities |url=https://www.topuniversities.com/world-university-rankings?countries=my |access-date=2 July 2024 |work=[[Quacquarelli Symonds]] |language=en }}</ref> Most of the other tertiary institutions in the state are privately-run, including [[Wawasan Open University]], [[Han Chiang University College of Communication]], [[DISTED College]] and [[RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus]].<ref name="InvestPenang-2011" /> [[RECSAM]], one of the 26 specialist institutions of the [[Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization]], is headquartered in George Town.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SEAMEO Secretariat |url=https://www.seameo.org/Main_centres/117 |access-date=9 December 2023 |website=[[Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization]] }}</ref>

The Penang Public Library Corporation is the [[Government of Penang|state government]] body tasked with the operation of public libraries throughout the state.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Introduction |url=http://www.penanglib.gov.my/index.php/en/about-us/introduction |access-date=9 December 2023 |website=Penang Public Library Corporation |archive-date=9 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209070935/http://www.penanglib.gov.my/index.php/en/about-us/introduction |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2016, the [[Government of Penang|Penang state government]] launched Malaysia's first [[digital library]], situated within the grounds of PFS.<ref name="Francis-2016">{{Cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2016/06/03/paperless-library-option/ |title=Paperless library option |last=Francis |first=Jolynn |date=3 June 2016 |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] }}</ref> Similar digital libraries have since been built at various locations throughout the state.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Akmal |first=Riadz |date=22 November 2021 |title=Butterworth Digital Library Clinches Two Awards |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/butterworth-digital-library-clinches-two-awards/ |access-date=4 February 2024 |work=Buletin Mutiara }}</ref>