The educational history of Malaysia is discussed; policy, historical trends, and school attendance are emphasized. Increased schooling and increased returns to schooling have been essential ingredients in Malaysia's economic growth. Schooling levels have risen rapidly since independence and, while all Malaysians have shared substantially in this growth, rates of increase vary among subgroups. For example, long-standing differences exist between Chinese and Malay educational levels. Malaysian policy is attempting to homogenize Malaysia's educational system. Unifying the language of instruction has been a major thrust of these policies. Primary school attendance in Malaysia is almost universal. Only about 65 percent complete secondary schooling and only a handful of Malaysians advance beyond secondary school. An analysis of individual, family, and community factors that affect the probability of school attendance among 12- to 18-year-olds revealed that school attendance levels among Malaysian children respond to changes in family resources and to changes in costs of attending school. In general, it can be said that Malaysian educational policies have succeeded admirably in fostering schooling among Malays, as reflected in the extraordinary rise in secondary school attendance both absolutely and relative to Malaysia's other ethnic groups. (RM)