Hope for the future: Wah Dinah guiding her young charges under the E2T programme.
TO mark the 10th anniversary of its Empowered2Teach (E2T) programme, Suka Society, or Persatuan Kebajikan Suara Kanak-kanak Malaysia, will introduce an indigenous mother tongue syllabus.
This curriculum will be presented in the form of a comprehensive toolkit, encompassing six distinct themes, an instructor’s guide, worksheets, lesson plans, a song, a storybook, and a craft activity.
The curriculum and syllabus, developed under the leadership and guidance of an indigenous committee, will be accessible in the Semai, Temiar and Jakun languages.
“Our aspiration is to not only distribute this curriculum and toolkit among other indigenous educators within the community, but to also continue expanding its translation into additional languages in the times ahead,” OSK Foundation (OSKF), which has formed a long-term partnership with the non-governmental organisation to elevate the E2T programme’s reach and effectiveness, said in a press release in conjunction with the United Nations International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on Aug 9.
The indigenous peoples of Malaysia, also known collectively as the Orang Asal (OA), were estimated to constitute 11% of the national population of 32.4 million.
OA is the collective group for all indigenous peoples across East and West Malaysia, comprising three main groups: the Orang Asli (indigenous peoples of Peninsula Malaysia), Dayaks (natives of Sarawak) and Anak Negeri (natives of Sabah).
Recognising the critical state of illiteracy and a lack of education access to OA children, Suka Society collaborates with OA communities to enhance their access to quality education.
Rooted in the belief that education is the cornerstone of progress and self-reliance, the society’s E2T programme aims to reduce the dropout rate among OA children by providing training, support and resources for the indigenous communities nationwide to start preschools in their respective villages.
Under the programme, selected indigenous teachers are trained and equipped with the skills to impart crucial knowledge to preschoolers, including Bahasa Malaysia, English and Mathematics. With support in terms of classroom resources, they can teach up to 25 children on a regular basis.
E2T preschool teacher and trainer Wah Dinah Bah Haron, 36, from Kampung Sungai Poh, Perak, said OA children who do not attend preschool will be left behind in primary and secondary schools.
“They have to know the basics such as holding a pencil or recognising shapes, the alphabet and colours.
“I want the children to become role models for the next generation and for our people.
“So, it is up to us now to set the foundation and to ensure a stable learning environment for our children. They will become the pioneers and leaders for the community to help us all progress.”
E2T is currently conducted in 14 indigenous preschools in Slim River, Gopeng, Tapah, Gua Musang, Kuala Rompin and Kuala Kubu Baru in the peninsula, and in various remote villages in Sabah where some 227 children between the ages of four and six attend regular preschool classes.
Through E2T, the literacy rates among the Orang Asli children have improved, while the community’s social integration and self-reliance have grown. To date, 1,421 OA preschoolers have benefited from these classes.
To donate or sponsor school supplies like stationery, art and craft materials, storybooks, and teaching aids to OA preschools and community classes, log on to www.sukasociety.org/be-a-donor/ and www.sukasociety.org/project-wishlist/.
