Jakoa urges MOE to send teachers to Orang Asli villages

 

Citing the gaps faced by students in Orang Asli settlements, Department of Orang Asli Development (Jakoa) deputy director-general (Development) Mohd Zamri Mustajap said the Education Ministry has been urged to send teachers to Orang Asli villages.

“The government, via the Education Ministry, has been urged to mobilise teachers to Orang Asli villages as the children do not have facilities, such as internet access and (technological) devices, to join online classes.

“This effort is with close cooperation between teachers and Jakoa,” Zamri said during a webinar conducted by the United Nations Development Programme Malaysia in conjunction with the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

He said that another challenge faced by Orang Asli students during home-based learning and teaching (PdPR) was digital literacy by students and their parents alike.

“This leads to difficulties faced by the Orang Asli students as they have to figure out how to use these digital platforms on their own.

“Ensuring continuity, the access to education for indigenous students is (ensured) by providing the necessary tools for remote learning and basic information technology knowledge,” Zamri said.

This can be done through providing sufficient internet access in rural areas, providing digital devices for the Orang Asli students and increasing the basic skills and knowledge of information literacy for students and their parents, he added.

Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia (Joas) vice-president Yusri Ahon had also called for the mobilisation of teachers to Orang Asli villages previously.

In the early stages of the pandemic, Orang Asli student Nurul Aini Zamri shared with Malaysiakini her personal struggles with online learning.

In addition to connectivity issues and lack of access to a computer at her home in Kampung Orang Asli Pulau Indah, Port Klang, Nurul Aini found it difficult to follow text-based lessons without the help of someone explaining them to her.

Some Orang Asli children from the Jakun tribe in Kampung Orang Asli Kemidak, Bekok, Johor, usually make their way to a makeshift wooden hut in the middle of an oil palm estate for their online classes as it is the only spot with a decent internet connection.

A Universiti Malaysia Sabah student, Veveonah Mosibin, of Kampung Sapatalang in Pitas, Sabah, had even made headlines after filming a video of herself climbing a tree to gain better internet access to sit for an online examination.

Referring to the digital divide, Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Sustainable Development Goals (Appgm-SDG) secretariat head Denison Jayasooria suggested rethinking the model of schooling and involving the help of social enterprises

“I think we need to rethink the model of schooling, as there are many creative approaches (such as) the homeschooling movement and others, as opposed to the hostile model of education and its curriculum,” he said at the same webinar. - Mkini