Education in Penang

Penang boasts of a good system of education stretching back to the early days of the British administration. Many of the public schools in Penang are among the oldest in the country and even in the region as a whole. Most notable of these are:

• Penang Free School, the oldest English school in the country. This is the former school of Tunku Abdul Rahman, the nation's founding Prime Minister, a Perlis Ruler, the legendary Malaysian actor/singer Tan Sri P.Ramlee, the present king, as well as numerous great personalities of the nation (founded in 1816 by Anglican missionaries).
• St. Xavier's Institution, also one of the oldest and most established schools in Malaysia that is at the forefront of the Malaysian education scene, both academically and co-curricularly.
• Convent Light Street, also the oldest girls' school in Penang with resides side to side with St. Xavier's Institution

These pioneer schools formed the backbone of Malaysia's early education system which has educated generations of rulers, prime ministers, chief ministers, lawmakers, politicians, professionals and people of social standing.

• Sekolah Menengah Sains Tun Syed Sheh Shahabudin
• Sekolah Menengah Sains Kepala Batas

• MJSC Balik Pulau
• MJSC Ulul Albab Kepala Batas
• MJSC Transkrian

Penang Chinese school has also long been the centre of a well-developed schooling system. These schools were set up by local Chinese associations with donations from philanthropists, and have historically attracted students from Chinese communities in Thailand and Indonesia, where Chinese education was banned.

• Chung Ling High School, (founded 9 February 1917) the alma mater of Penang's ex-Chief Minister, Singapore's Minister of Health and one of the key education institutions that help built the nation and the region of South East Asia.
• Heng Ee School, was founded in 1952 by Datuk Father Arthur Julian, a Belgian missionary who arrived Penang from China in 1952. He established Heng Ee Primary School in 1952, followed by Heng Ee High School in 1957 then 1969, Heng Ee Kindergarten.
• Penang Chinese Girls' High School, founded by four prominent members of the Hokkien community, Mr Tan Sin Chen, Mr Lim Lu Teck, Mr Khor Sen Lee and Mr Cheah Seng Tin on 8 March 1920.
• Union High School,(founded 1928) Union was founded by some charitable Christian believers. During 1942 Japanese colonisation, Union had been occupied by Japanese military use. One of the all-girls schools in Penang.
• Jit Sin School, is founded by an organisation, Fu De Zheng Shen, in 1818. Later, the school has developed into the Jit Sin Primary School - A and B school, Jit Sin High School, Jit Sin (Private) High School and Jit Sin Kindergarten.
• Chung Hwa Confucian School (founded 1904) is one of the oldest formal Chinese Schools in Malaysia and is the first to use Mandarin as the medium of instruction instead of the Chinese dialects.
• Phor Tay High School, (founded 1940) is the first Buddhism's school in Malaysia.
• Jit Sin High School started in 1949 and shared the same history of Jit Sin School. They have set the benchmark for all government examinations - PMR, SPM & STPM, and all kinds of inter-school competitions, especially Chinese Orchestra.
• Han Chiang School, was founded in 1919 by notable businessman Lim Lean Teng and The Teochew Association of Penang. Today, Han Chiang consists of 3 schools: SJK(C) Han Chiang, Han Chiang High School, Han Chiang College who excel in various categories. Han Chiang is also the first school in Malaysia to provide education from primary level to college level.
• Convent Datuk Keramat, was founded by Rev. Mother Tarcisius in 1935.

• , Dalat International School
• , The International School of Penang (Uplands)
• , St. Christopher's International Primary School
• Tenby International School
• , Fairview International School
• , The Prince of Wales Island International School
• Straits International School