KUALA LUMPUR – It is during tough times that people emerge tougher than ever, and most of the time, they are just ordinary people.
But what sets them apart from everyone else is their relentless need to instil change in one of Malaysia’s most marginalised communities – the Orang Asli.
Since 2013, Suka Society, or Persatuan Kebajikan Suara Kanak-kanak Malaysia, under its Empower2Teach project, has brought education to Orang Asli children through its 10 preschools located in the remote villages of Slim River, Gopeng, Gerik, Tapah, Gua Musang and Kuala Rompin.
The students who attend daily classes are mostly from the Semai and Temiar communities, and the main objective of the programme is to train young indigenous people to become teachers with the knowledge and skills to teach preschool children within their own communities.
Suka Society’s founder and executive director Anderson Selvasegaram said the programme offers the opportunity for a smoother transition to primary school for the children, many of whom have never seen the inside of a school nor exposed to the core subjects of English, Bahasa Malaysia and Mathematics.
Under the society’s Empower2Teach project, the non-governmental organisation has 142 Orang Asli students currently registered under the programme, with plans to set up six new preschools in Sabah next year.
This project plays an empowering role. Suka Society trains teachers within the community to serve as the catalyst for education and development in their respective villages.
“It’s very difficult for non-indigenous teachers to survive in Orang Asli villages, which are located deep in the jungles, sometimes with little or no access to electricity and piped water, so we decided to train the Orang Asli to be the teachers,” said Anderson.
He also shared how Suka Society engaged with the indigenous community leaders and secured their support.
“The destruction of the forest, which was the source of their livelihoods, and the prospect of a bleak future for their children, made the Orang Asli leaders believe that education would provide a way out for their children,” said Anderson, who only initiates a preschool when village leaders support the project wholeheartedly.
“There must be a large community of young children who need education before we start a school, so as to ensure enough attendance on a daily basis.”
Dropouts a big stumbling block
According to a 2006 report by the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns, for every 100 Orang Asli children who enter Year 1, only about six are expected to make it to Form 5, 11 years later.
Without access to proper education, many indigenous communities will continue to be trapped within a vicious cycle of poverty.
The Empower2Teach programme assists Orang Asli children in their physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development.
Anderson said the most important aspect of the programme is the support provided to indigenous teachers in the preschools, to ensure they have sufficient teaching materials and on-the-job training.
“Currently, each teacher will attend four rounds of training – two rounds in Gopeng, Perak, where there is a training centre, and two at our Suka Society headquarters in Petaling Jaya.
“Some of the teachers have been with us since 2014, and are experienced in their handling of the children and the other teachers who train under them.
Dinah, a teacher from the Semai tribe, was teaching in a preschool in Petaling Jaya. When she returned to her village in Gopeng, she was recruited by Suka Society to start a preschool and eventually became one of the project trainers.
“She is in charge of on-the-job training for our preschool teachers, and uses the school in Gopeng as her training centre,” he added.
Anderson said a key component to this endeavour is empowerment, and one of the more experienced teachers, Nora, who is project coordinator, started off by teaching the children in her own home.
“But she soon realised the children in her Orang Asli community also needed to learn.
“Thus began her journey as an educator for the children in her community,” said Anderson, adding that as project coordinator, Nora conducts monthly supervisory visits to all the schools and represents Suka Society in advocating for Orang Asli kids.
Pandemic-time challenges
According to Anderson, when the pandemic hit the preschools in 2020, it changed the landscape of teaching in the local communities.
“When schools were closed, the children’s education was more dependent on their home environment. Teachers had to shift from physical classes to home-based learning. This posed a problem for parents, who had to guide their children in their homes.
“Our teachers adapted to this new form of teaching and guided parents at the same time.
“Some of the teachers also made home visits to teach children.
“Children learn best when they interact with each other, and we hope that next year, we can bridge the gap in the preschool learning goals.
“The right of education is a fundamental right for children. Suka Society feels Orang Asli children need equal access to education, just as other children in Malaysia do.” – The Vibes, December 6, 2021
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