Embedded Files
Introduction to the Cheeseman Report
Introduction to the Cheeseman Report
The Cheeseman Plan of 1946 was drafted by H. A. R. Cheeseman, then Deputy Director of Education, to reorganize Malaya’s education system after the disruption of World War II. The plan aimed to rebuild schools, expand access to basic education, and propose a new structure that accommodated multiple language streams while incorporating modern and vocational elements.
Contents of the Cheeseman Report (1946) includes:
Propose free basic education in all major languages such as English, Malay, Chinese, and Tamil to allow access across ethnic groups.
Allow vernacular schools to use their own medium of instruction, while making English a compulsory subject in all schools.
Create two types of secondary schools, which are middle schools and high schools to cater for different academic levels.
Introduce vocational and technical training as part of secondary education to prepare students for practical work.
Rebuild and expand the school network, especially in rural and underserved areas.
Promote modernisation of curriculum and school structure to better meet the educational needs of postwar society.
Although the Cheeseman Plan was ambitious and forward-thinking, it was ultimately not fully implemented. Political and social pressures, especially over language and national integration, led to its abandonment around 1949. Nevertheless, the plan remains historically significant as one of the earliest efforts to imagine a more inclusive, multilingual education system in Malaya.
Page updated
Report abuse