In the four and a half decades since independence education has expanded at a rapid rate. In the 1950s education was largely restricted to the elite who attended primary schools downriver at Long Linau or Belaga. By the early 1960s approximately a third of the relevant age group took advantage of the boarding facilities at Long Linau. School attendance doubled once the Sekolah Rakyat Kerajaan Long Pangai was established in 1965, and by 1985 primary education was almost universal. At this time slightly less than half of those who graduated from primary school went on to attend junior high school for three years. By 1995, however, attendance at junior high school was the norm. Senior high school education has always been relatively restricted because schools were located a long way downriver at Song and Kapit, few had the appropriate qualifications and, even more importantly, the finances required. By the mid-1980s a third of the relevant age group were attending senior high school and by the 1990s most of those who succeeded in gaining the junior high school certificate went on to senior high school.
The Malaysian Ministry of Education (MOE) oversees the education system on the primary and secondary levels. The Sarawak Education Department manages all aspects of the education service in the state. Public schools in Sarawak are supervised according to districts under the purview of a District Education Officer. In Kuching, all schools under the National Education System (government education institution category), are managed by the Kuching Combined Education Office (Pejabat Pelajaran Gabungan Kuching).
There are more than 80 schools with an enrolment of more than 30,000 students in the City of Kuching. Schools are divided into 4 levels of education namely pre-school, primary, secondary (lower & upper) and post-secondary (excluding tertiary). As of January 2010, SMK Green Road has the highest enrolment of 2075 among all secondary schools in Kuching, while SJK Chung Hua No. 3 has the highest enrolment of 1553 among all primary schools.
There are more than 80 schools with an enrolment of more than 30,000 students in the City of Kuching. Schools are divided into 4 levels of education namely pre-school, primary, secondary (lower & upper) and post-secondary (excluding tertiary). As of January 2010, SMK Green Road has the highest enrolment of 2075 among all secondary schools in Kuching, while SJK Chung Hua No. 3 has the highest enrolment of 1553 among all primary schools.
The city's higher education system follows the guidance of the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE). Under the preview of MOHE are two main departments, namely the Institutes of Higher Education Management Department and the Polytechnic and Community College Management Department.
