On 5 February 2008, I received the latest CAN(Catholic Asian News) from Malaysia. The topic focused was ‘common good'. The below is what I copied partially from two articles in the CAN. (Lily)
Catholic Asian News (February 2008, Vol. 37, No. 2)
‘Education In Malaysia: Forging Unity or Separatism’
by Prof. Khoo Kay Kim (pp.17-19)
It is commonly claimed that ethnic separatism exists rather glaringly in Malaysia today because of the ‘divide and rule’ policy practised by the British. But there is no evidence that this was a deliberate policy of the British administration. Ethnic separatism was common in the past because each ethnic group chose to live separately from the others and each was intent on preserving its cultural identity.
When the first English school was established in 1816 in Penang, it was called ‘The Penang Free School’. Not many today understand what was meant by ‘Free’. It did not mean that the children did not have to pay fees. ‘Free’ meant the school admitted all children irrespective of race, creed or status. It was vernacular education that supported, albeit indirectly, ethnic separatism.
About 140 years later, when a committee was set up, chaired then by Dato’Abdul Razak bin Hussein (later Tun, Malaysia’s second Prime Minister), to spell out the national education policy for Malaya which was about to become a nation-state, the recommendation from the Razak Report was that the main objective of the national education policy should be national unity. But education in due course was focused on the achievement of good examination results, based largely on rote learning.
In the process, activities which could contribute greatly towards social cohesion were also marginalised. Britain had encouraged participation in modern sports after the Indian Mutiny of 1857 because it was believed that the event in India was caused by the growth of disaffection among the Indians towards the British. To solve the problem, it was felt that the cultural distance between the two should be narrowed.
In what was then unofficially called ‘Malaya’, Britain also encouraged modern sports. Introduced to the local population by the close of the 19th century, soccer quickly turned out to be most popular even before the end of that century.
It was a game which could be enjoyed by the masses as it was not, unlike tennis, an expensive game. Other forms of extra-curricular activities were also introduced so that modern education was not confined primarily to the classroom.
School children, in the past were increasingly also encouraged to participate in activities such as debates, drama, oratorical contests, music, scouting and the like which significantly developed their character. They could speak well and socialise comfortably. And the English medium schools which admitted children of various ethnic groups turned out to be an effective ground for the galvanising of ethnic mingling.
The vernacular schools were quite different. The most difficult of these schools were the Chinese medium schools which for many years brought in teacher from China and used China-originated syllabi. Chinese schools were so highly politicised that the British administration attempted to interfere in the running of these schools, but there were protests from the community.
But it was already clear by then that the adult Chinese classes were primarily responsible for disseminating communist ideology among the Chinese population, so much so that, in the late 1930s, the Governor of the Straits Settlements cum High Commissioner of the Malay States, Sir Thomas Shenton Thomas, was preparing plans to anglicise the Chinese when World WarⅡ broke out.
After 1957, in an endeavour to instill a sense of patriotism in the hearts and minds of the school children, apart from the learning of science and mathematics, there was a great deal of stress placed on politics, directly and indirectly. And since Malaysian politics tend to be geared towards tehnig pluralism, the children in due course became even more conscious of ethnic belonging as well as ethnic interests.
The attempt by the British administration to integrate the schools immediately after World WarⅡalso failed and the prewar ethnically based schools continued to exist. When the leading schools which previously used English as the medium of instruction switched to Malay, they become less popular than the vernacular schools as it was felt by many that the latter could better help to preserve cultural identity.
Until today the schools do not play an effective role in bringing the young together. For quite some time now, it was assumed that science subjects, being apolitical, could play a role in erasing ethnic thinking among the younger generation. But science subjects cannot prevent ethnic propaganda from reaching the young.
Such propaganda is common in Malaysian politics and parents, quite unwittingly, by their conversations, pass on ethnic prejudices to their children. The schools should be aware of this and find a way to white-wash ethnic thoughts from the minds of the schools children.
The trouble with education in Malaysia is that it has not really adjusted to modern changes, the introduction of science subjects notwithstanding. And there is a tendency among those who manage education to believe that non-science subjects are of no value. Geography has lost its place in the country’s education system. History too was almost displaced. Although it has been retained, there are not many parents who believe that it is relevant in life.
Law too is a subject which should be introduced at a very elementary level in the upper secondary classes. Otherwise, the succeeding adult generation will continue to misconstrue steps taken by the government for the solution of problems.
Lately there has been the tendency to challenge the authorities by the authorities by defiance rather than by law because people do not understand that the interpretation of laws is the role of the judiciary.
Tertiary education is no less important than primary and secondary education. Traditionally, it was expected that young students join the universities in their countries in order to sharpen their minds. They ought to become more rational and less emotional when perceiving or discussing any issue.
Unfortunately, today they are seldom educated; lecturers tend to teach (merely impart information). The result is that often university students come under the influence of outsiders who have never had the benefit of a university education.
Many university students spend three to four years in the university and emerge into the outside world which little understanding of life. Many are competent workers, but they work mechanically. They are unable to handle issues which verge on the abstract: for example, “What is government?” “Why does society need law?” “Which is more important- morality or wealth?”
It is actually not difficult to pick up information about concrete objects. But question which require qualitative answers need clear understanding and sound reasoning.
Education needs to help to instill common sense as well as logic into the minds of the young without which the adult will be no more than a robot and it is astounding that, today, while attempts are made to make robots more human, there are simultaneous attempts made to make humans more robotic.
‘School Friends and the Common Good’ by Wilson Henry (pp.20-22)
We hear of increasingly numbers of non Malay(sic) children returning home with complaints that their friends mock them for their cultural or religious beliefs.
“My son came back upset one day after school complaining that a Malay classmate had belittled his beliefs and added that only Muslims went to heaven”, says one father of a seven year son (sic) studying in a primary school in Bandar Utama.
“I took the time to explain to him the different faiths and reassured him that everyone has a chance to go to heaven.”
But in issues of polarisation, it is always perceived as a non-Malay and Malay divide. “Sometimes the polarization also happens when non-Malays choose to segregate themselves or even polarisation among non-Malays. It should not only be seen as a Malay and non-Malay issue,” says Lucy. It is a problem that concerns everyone and should then be tackled by everyone.”
The glaring lack of understanding of different cultures and religions is said to stem from a particular religious fundamentalism that has contributed to the growing intolerance and non-acceptance of people other faiths(sic) and cultures.
“I don’t think children are born with prejudices, they simply mimic their surroundings, picking it up from the adults they are around with the most, namely their parents. And this should not be happening in a place like Malaysia where we claim to be inclusive but live a different reality,” says former nurse Marie Galley who recalls having friends from every race and visiting them during festive seasons without a second thought.
“These days I hear some of nephews and nieces saying that their Muslim friends don’t visit them for fear of food that is not kosher,” says Galley.
“I am sure there is more to visiting friends such as exchanging greetings and maybe eating food that does not have dietary restrictions. And usually most non-Muslims are sensitive enough to provide kosher food, so why the paranoia?”
(End)
