THE government’s proposal to set up an elite tabika is a bad idea and ill-advised.
It was announced that the kindergarten will have a better curriculum for children whose parents have the financial capacity to pay its fees.
M40’s demand
Deputy Rural Development Minister Abdul Rahman Mohamad has explained that the proposal was in response to demand from M40 families. However, he did not clarify whether parents would need to pay higher fees.
Although he has said there will be no difference in the curriculum, the question remains as to why there is a need for M40 parents to pay higher fees for the same – or better – curriculum. Why can’t the government allocate more funding, so that all children, irrespective of their parents’ financial standing, are given a quality education?
Are children of poor families to be condemned to low-quality education right from the preschool level?
SDG Target 4.2
The Rural Development Ministry appears to have failed to consider the government’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 4 is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education, and promote lifelong learning opportunities. Education is a fundamental human right and indispensable for the achievement of sustainable development. SDG 4 provides that early childhood development (ECD) will be a priority in the 21st century.
It is explicitly mentioned in Target 4.2 that by 2030, countries should ensure that all children have access to quality ECD care and pre-primary education, so that they are ready for primary school.
Great attention should be paid to the word “quality” in Target 4.2. The Rural Development Ministry also appears to have failed to consider SDG 10 to reduce inequality.
Inequality matters
This elite tabika idea shows that the present government is either insensitive to issues of inequality or there’s a lack of political will to address the real issues of inequality. The root cause of inequality and poverty is not racial superiority or inferiority, as some will have us believe, but poor socioeconomic policies. It also reveals the government’s lack of understanding of the links between ECD and the lifelong course of inequalities.
Failure to tackle inequality
It is the gap between the rich and poor that’s pulling us apart. For decades, our political leaders have only paid lip service on the need to address inequality. Few concrete steps have actually been taken to reduce inequality levels.
The concentration of wealth in the hands of a few has led to undue political influence to implement policies and programmes in favour of the elite and at the expense of common citizens. It led to the elite capture of the government. This ultimately robbed citizens of natural resources, produced unfair tax policies and encouraged corrupt practices.
The consequences are worsened accountability and poor social inclusion. This resulted in the biggest kleptocracy in the history of the world. Inequality is the by-product of the elite capture of government policies and programmes.
Elite capture and recapture
The present uncertain and unstable political environment is due to the political/economic elite seeking to recapture – or rather, seeking to maintain the recapture – of the government following the shocking 14th general election. The current political situation is a pushback by the elite to regain control of the country’s resources and access to the nation’s coffers.
In these circumstances, regaining and maintaining political power is the top priority, while addressing inequality has become secondary or relegated to the lower echelons who possess narrower perspectives. Thus, we have poorly thought-out ideas.
Inequality hampers society’s well-being
Those who came up with the idea of an elite tabika seem have lost sight of the fact that it is inequality that stops us from beating poverty, and achieving equality between women and men among the different ethnic groups. It has divided us.
High inequality implies a high concentration of people at the top or bottom of the income distribution chain, hollowing out the middle-income group. This creates social tension that may result in political instability and social conflicts.
Inequality comes at the expense of a less stable and efficient economic system. Rising inequality slows down poverty reduction. High inequality weakens economic growth. Yet, there are certain leaders who, instead of bridging this divide, are driving a bigger wedge between citizens. We often hear statements such as: “The government did not give you the lucrative contract you needed to survive, but you should be proud that the government has given it to a member of your ethnicity, even though he is already rich.”
Inequality is not inevitable. It is a political choice.
Inequality and education
The tragedy of the proposed elite tabika is that the government has no idea it is making the inequality trap more difficult for the poor to get out of. Education is said to be the great equaliser. It is not. Education is a tool used by a responsible government to fight inequality. It is the government that is the equaliser.
But in our case, the equaliser has abdicated its responsibility. When good education can be accessed only by families with money, it undermines social mobility. It ensures that if you were born poor, you and your children will die poor, no matter how hard you work. It also undermines our society, as the children of the wealthy are segregated from those of ordinary families at an early age.
Segregation causes social exclusion
When schooling is segregated by class, wealth, ethnicity or other signifiers of privilege and exclusion, it cements inequality. Segregated patterns of schooling build segregated communities, driving a wedge between the haves and have-nots, right at the start of life.
Quality public education
Conversely, quality public education for all can be a powerful engine for greater equality. Good education reduces poverty, boosts opportunities for all, brings society together and supports democratic societies.
Universal education
In order to reduce inequality, education needs to be universal. Government investment in free education is crucial to build equality because it gives every child a fair chance.
Public education faces challenges in terms of learning outcomes, but the answer is adequate government funding, not turning to profit-making organisations or extracting higher fees from parents. For-profit schools are a dangerous diversion from what is needed to deliver education for all.
Unequal education has serious implications for society, as well as individuals. A segregated system in which low-quality education is available to the majority, while the privileged can pay for a better education, does little to facilitate social cohesion or build a sense of unity.
Access to quality ECD is fundamental to address poverty and inequality, and promote social inclusion and a sustainable future for all. – The Vibes, October 2, 2020
William Leong Jee Keen is Selayang MP
