ABSTRACT
The transition from apathy and indifference towards both primary and mass education to one of enthusiasm is a phenomenon quite unprecedented in the history of the developing countries, and Malaysia is no exception. Early efforts of missionaries, philanthropists, and to a certain extent governments, to provide some rudiments of education had met with limited success, largely owing to the absence of a strong local stimulus. With dawning self-government, but especially after independence, changes political, social, and economic began to engulf them and helped to create a genuine demand for education that appeared almost insatiable. These changes came about very rapidly and suddenly. As a result, many of these countries were quite unprepared to meet the new demand. This imbalance persists up to this day, and gives rise to many difficulties in the provision of education at all levels.
