Has a preschool been set up at this longhouse yet?
THE Orang Asli of Kampung Tambak in Pagoh, Johor, should consider themselves a lucky lot. What more could they ask for? Their Member of Parliament, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, is none other than the Deputy Prime Minister doubling as the Minister of Education of Malaysia – a potential candidate for the highest political post in the land, in normal circumstances.
When their representative visited them last weekend, the villagers were assured that the government would treat all communities in Malaysia equally in terms of access to education, members of the Orang Asli and the indigenous communities in Sabah and Sarawak included.
Kindergatens in longhouses
That reminds me of the news I read in early January 2010 about setting up preschools in the longhouses in Sarawak. In Bintulu, Tan Sri Muhyiddin had brought the good news: lots of money for rural schools and a proposal to start kindergartens in the longhouses.
News of the above went viral.
It was reported on Jan 25, 2010 that the STU supports the setting up of preschools in longhouses.
Thomas Huo, secretary-general of STU (Sarawak Teachers’ Union) reacted favourably saying: “This is a very good move by the government. The rural children will have access to education at an earlier age,” adding that the “present UPSR (Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah) public examination results in the rural areas, in general, are not as good as those from the urban schools”.
Apparently, interest in the longhouse kindergartens also caught the imagination of many people in several of the longhouses that I visited. All hands went up with approval whenever the subject was raised.
The local politicians lapped it up, it being a popular idea.
In April in Miri, a seminar was organised for 246 chiefs from various longhouses in the Miri Division. The participants were talking about ‘Konsep Baru Pembangunan Rumah Panjang’ (new concept of longhouse development).
After a solid two days of brainstorming, these community leaders announced that for every longhouse of 30 to 50 doors, there would be a preschool, sports facilities, church, and a community hall.
The Borneo Post in its editorial of April 14, 2010 echoed the sentiment with the comment, “Money spent on education is money well spent”, reminding the federal government of its assurance to increase financial allocations for rural schools in Sabah and Sarawak.
I was on board and always will be where the provision of an early formal education to children in all places is concerned. I was deprived of this opportunity as a child and promised myself that my children would not be so deprived.
From the sidelines, I had earlier pitched in with a column entitled ‘As the sapling is bent, so shall the tree grow’, parroting the wise old Confucius.
A few pilot projects required
I wasn’t sure, however, that the great idea could be implemented soon in all or most of the longhouses scattered all over the state, some 5,000 of them. I was thinking, perhaps, a few pilot nursery schools could be implemented in a selected number of longhouses while kindergarten teachers were being trained.
I was also wondering if the proposed preschool in addition to those run by Kemas was ever conceived and incorporated in the Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013 to 2025).
It is possible that the Kemas classes will continue, but limited in their reach. How would the Rural Ministry implement both the Kemas schools and the kindergartens when the ministry itself has its hands full in terms of other projects?
However, there seemed to be a new deal for the longhouse kids. There lay the future for them.
Where in Sarawak can one see a longhouse preschool project being implemented?
After a long spell of fresh news on this education front, could that seminar in Miri about the new concept of longhouse development be intended as an exercise for election purposes only or could it be that there was no proper coordination between the state and the federal governments on the implementation of the policy on rural education.
If it was the intention to carry on with the Kemas classes only for Sarawak, shouldn’t the public be fully informed?
Four years down the line, have we forgotten all about this noble concept? Or have the media fraternity and the STU, and me, been taken for a ride?
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