MALAYSIA: Polytechnics might soon award degrees

Standards of polytechnics in Malaysia might be raised to enable them to offer degree courses to students, reports The Star. Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said he had requested a study be conducted on the issue as soon as possible.

He said the move was aimed at correcting perceptions that polytechnics were 'second chance' institutes for those who could not get into public universities. "At present, polytechnics offer diploma courses. We may elevate the standards of three or four polytechnics in the initial stage by enabling them to offer degree courses," he said last week.

Mohamed Khaled said the ministry was also looking at offering more places in polytechnics, as a total of 120,000 people had applied this year for 20,000 available places. He said enrolment at polytechnics was high as students could secure jobs easily upon graduation.
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