The pandemic broke the chalk-and-talk mold. When schools closed in 2020, Malaysia scrambled to implement Pembelajaran dan Pemudahcaraan di Rumah (PdPR). Urban students with fiber optics thrived. Rural students in Sabah and Sarawak climbed trees for a signal.

National-type schools using Mandarin or Tamil as the primary language.

Education is mandatory from ages 6 to 12 (Primary), with most children starting preschool at 4-5.