Sultan Idris Education University (Malay: Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris; commonly abbreviated as UPSI; Jawi: اونيۏرسيتي ڤنديديقن سلطان إدريس) is a public university located in Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia. Established in 1922 as a teachers' college, it is one of the oldest continuously operating higher education institutions in the country. Since its founding, graduates of the institution have been referred to as "Anak Kandung Suluh Budiman" (lit. 'Children of the Beacon of Pure Character'), a tradition that continues to this day. The university itself is also known as Ibu Kandung Suluh Budiman (lit. 'Mother of the Beacon of Pure Character').

Initially, education in the Malay Peninsula was rooted in Islamic religious instruction, focusing on fardu ain and fardu kifayah, and was conducted informally by religious teachers. With the advent of British colonial rule in the 19th century, a secular education system was introduced, aiming to equip the population with basic literacy and practical skills in line with social and economic needs. This system led to the growth of vernacular schools, including those using Malay, Chinese, and Tamil as mediums of instruction, which in turn increased the demand for trained teachers. While foreign teachers initially filled this gap, their numbers became insufficient as the school system expanded. Recognising this issue, the Woolley Report in 1870 recommended the implementation of a professional teacher training system, including a "pupil-teacher" approach to develop local teaching capacity. Despite a cautious British approach towards advancing Malay education, concerns over teacher shortages and the growing need for structured learning eventually highlighted the importance of a formal institution.

Recognising the urgent need for a formal institution to train Malay teachers, the British colonial administration established the Sultan Idris Training College (SITC). Named after Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah, the 28th Sultan of Perak who ruled from 1889 to 1916, SITC was officially established on 1 November 1922 by Sir George Maxwell, Chief Secretary of the Federated Malay States. The college was initially proposed by Richard Olaf Winstedt, then Director of Education, who aimed to centralise two existing teacher training centres in Malacca and Matang. Winstedt's idea was influenced by his visits to Java and the Philippines, after which he recommended a central training college for Malay teachers with a curriculum encompassing agriculture and practical skills. The establishment of SITC reflected broader British colonial strategies to develop Malay vernacular schools, a policy that gained traction following the 1874 Pangkor Treaty. These schools were designed to promote Malay culture and values, with the goal of ensuring social and political stability under colonial rule. However, resistance from the local Malay population, who feared the erosion of Islamic values, hindered early efforts. This resistance was partially mitigated by the introduction of compulsory school attendance within certain radii in 1902, starting in Malacca, which gradually improved enrolment rates across British Malaya.

The first teacher training centre in Malaya was established in Taiping in 1913 and known as the Matang Teacher Training College. It operated in the residence of Malay noble Ngah Ibrahim until its closure in 1922. That year, the college was relocated to Tanjong Malim and renamed the SITC. Tanjong Malim was chosen for its fertile land, railway and road access, proximity to a river, and a moderate local population. A 64-hectare area was acquired in 1917, and construction of the college, which featured Gothic-style architecture, began in 1919 and was completed by 1922. SITC officially opened on 29 November 1922 with an initial intake of 120 male trainee teachers, many of whom came from the Matang and Malacca teacher training institutions. By March 1924, SITC graduated its first cohort of 58 trained teachers. The college admitted students from across Malaya, including the Straits Settlements, the Federated Malay States, Kedah, Johore, British Borneo, Brunei, and Singapore. By 1931, SITC admitted approximately 130 students annually and retained around 120 of them through to graduation. By 1938, the student population had grown to nearly 400, including 92 Malay girls, a gradual shift towards a more inclusive education policy.

The three-year curriculum at SITC focused on equipping Malay teachers with foundational teaching skills as well as practical knowledge in gardening, elementary agriculture, handicrafts, arts, and physical training. This emphasis aligned with the colonial aim of cultivating a productive and loyal Malay working class and fostering the dissemination of scientific agricultural methods even in rural villages. Under the leadership of its first principal, Oman Theodore Dussek, a British education officer and former headmaster of Malacca College, SITC adopted policies that supported the cultural and intellectual development of the Malay community. Dussek promoted leadership and self-improvement among the Malays and insisted that instruction be conducted in Bahasa Melayu, thereby nurturing a strong sense of pride in Malay language and identity. The academic programme also included subjects such as history, language, and literature, which contributed to an emerging awareness of the Malay world and helped to foster national consciousness.

In 1924, a significant development occurred when the Malay Translation Bureau was transferred from Kuala Lumpur to SITC. Dussek played a key role in facilitating this move and appointed Zainal Abidin Ahmad, known as Za'ba, a renowned Malay linguist and reformer, as head of the Bureau. The Bureau became the intellectual hub of the college, responsible for translating, editing, and publishing educational materials, novels, and government documents. It also trained probationary translators and substantially expanded the college's literary resources. Importantly, the Bureau printed a variety of Malay texts, including some revolutionary literature from the Middle East and Indonesia that had been banned elsewhere. These publications introduced students to new ideas, encouraging discussions that contributed to a growing political awareness among the Malays.

Although SITC was not overtly political, its role in intellectual and educational development during the colonial era was significant. The college became an important centre for learning, producing graduates who would go on to become teachers, writers, and thinkers involved in early discourse on national identity and independence. Individuals such as Abdul Hadi Hassan and Buyong Adil were among those who, inspired by the college's environment, introduced progressive concepts such as the "Malay state" and the "Malay world". SITC's emphasis on the Malay language and literature, combined with the influence of figures like Za'ba and Dussek, contributed to the rise of Malay nationalism. This intellectual and cultural awakening ultimately led to the emergence of political movements, including the Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM) in 1938, one of the first left-wing Malay nationalist organisations. Although SITC originated as a colonial institution intended to serve British administrative needs, it evolved into a powerful centre for cultural preservation, educational advancement, and political awakening in British Malaya.

In 1957, following the Education Ordinance based on the Razak Report, SITC was renamed Maktab Perguruan Sultan Idris (MPSI). Administrative leadership transitioned from Europeans to Malay intellectuals during this period. MPSI continued teacher training and became a venue for Malay writers and nationalists. MPSI began admitting female students in 1976, starting with 140 women. The institution maintained its focus on teacher training.