Social Class

Term – social reproduction of inequality *The idea that inequality is continually

socially reproduced because the whole education system is overlain with ideology provided by the dominant group.

• In democratic societies, education is meant to be a path to opportunity, and public education is meant to ensure society continues to strive for equality.

Social Class

Social reproduction of

inequality

Class and education

Gender

Gender inequalities in

education

Limiting learning

Low expectations

University

Difficult and expensive subjects

Minorities

• 50.4% population Malay, • 23.7% Chinese, • 7.1% Indian, • 11.0% indigenous group and • 7.8% other ethnicities (CIA)

• Over the last four decades the Malaysian government has established policies favoring the Malay majority by preferring them for government’s jobs and scholarships.

Minorities

Minorities • Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and

Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960), obtaining education is an inalienable right of human beings and higher education should be equally accessible to all “on the basis of merit” (Art. 26, Sect. 1) and “on the basis of individual capacity” (Art. 1)

• it is necessary for the government to act against this trend by encouraging the local born Malay to succeed, especially in education.

Minorities

• Without any supportive policies from the government favoring Malay ethnicity, it is possible that the fear of this country from the early 20th century – Malays becoming a minority in its own country – could come true.

• Obviously, affirmative action in education helps bring more opportunities for students who suffer from their socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve equal access similar to privileged students.

• However, this policy conflicts with the meritocratic ideology of education, which emphasizes the academic capabilities of students.

Exceptional students

• “Pupils with special needs” are defined as “pupils with visual impairment or hearing impairment or with learning disabilities”

• “pupil with special needs” is determined to be “educable” if:

• “[H]e is able to manage himself without help and is confirmed by a panel consisting of a medical practitioner, and officer from the Ministry of Education and an officer from the Department of Welfare, as capable of undergoing the national educational programme.”

Exceptional students

• The following are automatically excluded from participation in the “special education programme”:

• (i) “physically handicapped pupils with the mental ability to learn like normal pupils”; and

• (ii) “pupils with multiple disabilities or with profound physical handicap or with severe mental retardation”

EDUCATION INEQUALITIES ISSUES FOR ABROGINAL, INDIGENOUS AND RURAL AREA

PEOPLE.

Inequality in education

Native malaysian

Indigenous Rural communities

Aboriginal people (Orang Asal)

• A generic Malaysian term used officially for the indigenous people of Peninsular Malaysia. Officially, there are 18 Orang Asli tribes that are categorised under three main groups according to their different languages and customs:

• Semang (or Negrito), generally confined to the northern portion of the peninsular

• Senoi, residing in the central region• Proto-Malay (or Aboriginal Malay), in the

southern region.

Indigenous

• Ethnic groups living in Sabah & Sarawak were given indigenous status, they are entitled to receive all benefits provided just like the Malays in Malaysia.

• Known as “masyarakat peribumi” or “bumiputera

Rural communities

• Residents who live in the areas that are far from the beach (which is located in the corner or in the upper parts of the state).

• Most people living in the area having difficulties to communicate with the outside (the city) because of geographical factors and design communication (telephone, transport, etc)

THE INEQUALITY ISSUES IN EDUCATION

FACILITIES

THE MASTERY OF READING, WRITING, COUNTING SKILLS (3M)

TRAINED TEACHERS PLACEMENT

DROPOUT

DIGITAL GAP

School for aboriginal people

Bilangan SR yang masih kekurangan kemudahan asas.

Bilangan SM yang masih kekurangan kemudahan asas

Data released by JHEOA

DROPOUT

37.1% of children - young indigenous people are not entering primary school, 34.3% did not enter the secondary school 46.3% did not complete Form 5.

Among the reasons are: •Lack of awareness among parents about the importance of education•They believe that the school is not going to change the future of their community •Proximity distance to schools and hardship.

The effort in drop out prevention

The ministry of education through the PIPP has listed a number of steps:

• Proposed Compulsory Education • Expanding vocational subject in secondary school • Motivational programs• Forging a collaboration between the school,

family and community• Introducing appropriate evaluation and

assesments

• the government on 09/01/2009 has proposed the construction of a special MRSM for aboriginal children with more lenient and different admission requirements

Lack of expert and trained teachers

• The government had some difficulties to put the trained and experienced teachers, especially for critical subjects in rural and remote areas.

Factors that may lead to the occurrence of this item: • Location of a remote school • More experienced teachers are placed at urban

areas schools

The efforts to improve the amount trained and experienced teachers in interior school

• new teachers are required to serve in rural areas

• Improving incentives for the teachers that are serving in remote areas

• Providing insurance for the teachers that are serving in rural areas

• Provide basic facilities and houses .

Digital gap

• The rapid development of the information and communication technology (ICT) has resulted wide digital gap between the students from urban area and the students from rural areas.

• This makes the students from rural and remote areas are getting left behind in the modern education.

The efforts to prevent the digital gap

• Provide computer lab • Providing Access Centre • Increase the number of computers in rural

schools• Linking all the schools with broadband SchoolNet • Smart schools in rural areas• Improving Educational TV • Introducing the use of video teleconferencing

Ways to Improve

• In 2006, an outreach special education programme have been introduced.

• This programme provide mobile service in order to identify the indigenous children who needs special needs in education and to help those who have been drop out from high school.

References

• Chi Ngu Yen. (2013). Educational Opportunities for Ethnic Minorities in Malaysia and Debate over Affirmative Action. Retrieved on 2014, Jan 18 on 2013http://educationpostcolonialism.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/educational-opportunities-for-ethnic-minorities-in-malaysia-and-debate-over-affirmative-action/

• Washing the Tigers: Addressing discrimination and inequality in Malaysia. (2012). The Equal Rights Partnership with Tenaganita: United Kingdom.

• HIRSCHMAN, C. (1976). THE DETERMINANTS OF ETHNIC INEQUALITY. UNITED MALAYAN BANKING COORPORATION , 1-14.

• SABAH, J. P. (2011). Status Pendidikan sabah. Retrieved January 19, 2014, from http://www.akademisains.gov.my/download/sci_math/workshop2/nuri.pdf

• SUHAKAM. (2006). CHAPTER 2 INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF MALAYSIA. SARAWAK: SARAWAK REPORT.

• SUHAKAM. (2010). LAPORAN STATUS HAK PENDIDIKAN KANAK-KANAK ORANG ASLI. KUALA LUMPUR: RDA PRESS SDN. BHD.

• Tawie, J. (2010, october 1). Free and Independent. Retrieved January 26, 2014, from Funds down for rural Sabah, S’wak schools: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/10/01/funds-slashed-for-rural-sabah-swak-schools/