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Preschool Principal

Education

Plan, direct, or coordinate academic or nonacademic activities of preschools or childcare centers and programs, including before- and after-school care.

Education

Picture the job

Where you'd usually workA preschool or childcare centre

  • Mostly indoors
  • Dealing with customers or the public
  • Regular working hours

An illustration of a typical workplace, not a photo. The work-style notes come from US O*NET data, so read them as a guide.

In Malaysia

In Malaysia the head of a private kindergarten is called 'Guru Besar' and must be a Malaysian aged at least 25 with at least a Diploma in ECE, approved by the MOE registrar. Public preschools are run by KPM (in primary schools), KEMAS (TABIKA) and JPNIN, while childcare centres (TASKA) fall under JKM instead.

How people get into it here
SPM → Diploma in Early Childhood Education (or Bachelor's in ECE) → registered kindergarten teacher → principal (Guru Besar) at age 25+ with teaching experience; must be registered with KPM and pass police vetting.

Sources:moe.gov.mymalaysia.gov.mymaukerja.mymy.jobstreet.com

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Hotel & Tourism Manager

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. Typical entry

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationAssociate's degree
The full route to this careerThe steps from school, UPU programmes and sourced costs, read against your answers.

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

IPG (Teacher Training)

Explore KPM's teacher-training route. Check current funding and apply through KPM's PISMP portal, not UPUOnline.

~5 years
Compare routes against your results and interests

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

Quick answers

How do you become a Preschool Principal in Malaysia?

SPM → Diploma in Early Childhood Education (or Bachelor's in ECE) → registered kindergarten teacher → principal (Guru Besar) at age 25+ with teaching experience; must be registered with KPM and pass police vetting. Registration with Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (Bahagian Pendidikan Swasta) — registration of the Guru Besar under the Education Act 1996 (Perakuan Pendaftaran or Permit Mengajar) is required to practise.

What should I study to become a Preschool Principal?

Related fields of study: Education. SPM subjects that help most: Business, Economics, English and Additional Mathematics.

How much does a Preschool Principal earn in Malaysia?

We don't yet have a Malaysian source we can cite for Preschool Principal pay, so we show no figure.

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities and policies and students' behavioral or learning problems.
  2. 2Monitor students' progress and provide students and teachers with assistance in resolving any problems.
  3. 3Recruit, hire, train, and evaluate primary and supplemental staff and recommend personnel actions for programs and services.
  4. 4Teach classes or courses or provide direct care to children.
  5. 5Set educational standards and goals and help establish policies, procedures, and programs to carry them out.
  6. 6Determine the scope of educational program offerings and prepare drafts of program schedules and descriptions to estimate staffing and facility requirements.
  7. 7Determine allocations of funds for staff, supplies, materials, and equipment and authorize purchases.
  8. 8Direct and coordinate activities of teachers or administrators at daycare centers, schools, public agencies, or institutions.
  9. 9Prepare and maintain attendance, activity, planning, accounting, or personnel reports and records for officials and agencies, or direct preparation and maintenance activities.
  10. 10Plan, direct, and monitor instructional methods and content of educational, vocational, or student activity programs.
  11. 11Review and interpret government codes and develop procedures to meet codes and to ensure facility safety, security, and maintenance.
  12. 12Review and evaluate new and current programs to determine their efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance with state, local, and federal regulations and recommend any necessary modifications.
  13. 13Collect and analyze survey data, regulatory information, and demographic and employment trends to forecast enrollment patterns and the need for curriculum changes.
  14. 14Prepare and submit budget requests or grant proposals to solicit program funding.
  15. 15Organize and direct committees of specialists, volunteers, and staff to provide technical and advisory assistance for programs.
  16. 16Inform businesses, community groups, and governmental agencies about educational needs, available programs, and program policies.
  17. 17Write articles, manuals, and other publications and assist in the distribution of promotional literature about programs and facilities.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Principal
  • Site Director
  • Center Manager
  • ECP Supervisor
  • Vice Principal
  • Art Coordinator
  • Daycare Manager
  • School Director
  • Daycare Director
  • Site Coordinator

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BusinessDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Customer and Personal Service90%
  • Education and Training86%
  • Administration and Management82%

    BusinessEconomics

  • English Language78%

    English

  • Psychology71%
  • Public Safety and Security71%

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Time spent standingA little
  • Time walking or movingA little

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points, not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

28%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023, already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org