A viable way out of the school overcrowding crisis

WALK into many urban government schools today and the numbers tell a sobering story: classrooms of 40 or more students, teachers stretched thin and learning conditions that fall well short of what our children deserve.

Education experts generally agree that 25 to 30 students per class is the sweet spot for effective teaching. Yet, in cities like Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baru and Penang, that benchmark has long been a distant aspiration.

The root cause is straightforward. Malaysia’s urban population has grown faster than our school infrastructure can keep pace. The Education Ministry has been playing catch-up for years, and there is no quick fix on the horizon.

But there is a smarter way forward, one that doesn’t rely solely on the government building its way out of the problem – private schools.

Thousands of Malaysian families have quietly chosen to enrol their children in registered private primary and secondary schools. Their reasons vary: smaller class sizes, alternative pedagogical approaches or simply the inability to secure a spot in a preferred government school.

Whatever the motivation, these families are effectively absorbing demand that would otherwise fall on an already strained public system.

The problem is that they are doing so without any government recognition or support. Parents in the M40 middle-income bracket – too “wealthy” to receive subsidies, yet genuinely squeezed by rising living costs – are paying private school fees entirely out of pocket while also contributing to the national tax base that funds public education.

That is not a partnership. It is a one-way burden.

A simple fix is to extend tax relief to these parents. The government has already acknowledged the logic of fiscal support for early childhood education. Parents currently enjoy up to RM3,000 in income tax relief for preschool and childcare fees per child, a measure extended from the 2026 assessment year to cover daycare for children up to 12 years old.

The principle is sound: where families invest in their children’s education, the government shares the load.

The proposal here is a natural extension of that principle. Individual income tax relief should be expanded to cover tuition fees at registered private primary and secondary schools, capped at RM5,000 per child per year. It could sit neatly within the existing “Children’s Education” category in the individual tax return form.

The cost to the treasury is modest and manageable. The benefit, however, is substantial.

First, middle-class families get breathing room. The combination of school fees, tutoring costs and the general cost of living has made quality education feel like a luxury. Tax relief restores some fairness.

Second, government schools benefit directly. Every student who can comfortably remain in the private system is one fewer student crowding a government classroom. Class sizes come down, teachers regain focus and learning quality improves – without a single brick being laid.

Third, the private education sector grows in a healthier, more regulated direction. Tax incentives attract investment and raise standards across the board, making private schools better partners rather than mere alternatives.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this measure signals something meaningful: that the

government views education as a shared national responsibility, not a burden it shoulders alone or offloads entirely onto families.

Malaysia cannot build its way out of the school overcrowding crisis fast enough. But it can – starting with the next Budget – make it easier for citizens to be part of the solution.

DR OMAR YAAKOB

Head, Education Focus Group

Pertubuhan IKRAM Malaysia