it builds on the nine years of basic education six years of primary school and three years of junior secondary school students entering senior secondary school can attend either a more academically oriented school or vocational school this applies in both the islamic and nonislamic systems formal senior secondary education comprises general education sekolah menengah atas or sma vocational education sekolah menengah kejuruan or smk islamic senior secondary schools madrasah aliyah or ma and islamic vocational education madrasah aliyah kejuruan or mak this chapter concentrates largely on the provision of academic senior secondary education while chapter considers the vocational side work is under way to develop community colleges and alternative routes to further and higher education