Indigenous sustainable education modelling: The role of chaperones in Batek children's education in Malaysia

• Published in: INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF EDUCATION
• Main Authors: Abdullah, Mohd Amli; Ahmad, Badli Esham; Ismail, Mohd Rozaidi
• Format: Article; Early Access
• Language: English
• Published: SPRINGERNATURE 2023
• Subjects: Education & Educational Research
• Online Access: https://www-webofscience-com.uitm.idm.oclc.org/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:001129148100001
• ISSN: 0020-8566; 1573-0638
• DOI: 10.1007/s11159-023-10035-9

This article focuses on sustainable education for Batek children, an ethnic subgroup of Indigenous Orang Asli peoples in Malaysia. A number of important figures, including school leaders, teachers, parents and peers, are needed to support initiatives to improve the quality of education among Indigenous communities. However, studies have indicated that a range of issues among Orang Asli children - such as low educational attainment, school dropout and high absenteeism - are hindering success. To help address these problems, a more conducive relationship between these children and their schools needs to be developed. The qualitative study presented in this article explored the role of chaperones (teachers' aides) in a Let's Go to School programme in a village school in Pahang, Malaysia, as a potential solution to support Batek children's education. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four respondents: two village elders (who acted as chaperones for schoolchildren), one school principal and one teacher. Five themes were identified as connected to the role of chaperones and the success of the programme: trust, commitment, conducive environment, appropriate policy and regulation, and community support. The chaperones were found to act as informal teachers, effectively supporting Batek children, and the community, in both the academic and outside world. Findings indicate the need for a proper modelling of Indigenous sustainable education which recognises the role of chaperones in Batek children's education. This approach could also be extended to other Orang Asli communities. Modelisation d'une education autochtone durable : le role des accompagnateurs dans l'education des enfants bateks en Malaisie - Cet article se penche sur l'education durable pour les enfants bateks, un sous-groupe ethnique du peuple autochtone orang asli en Malaisie. Tout un ensemble de personnalites dont des chefs d'etablissements, des enseignants, des parents et des pairs sont necessaires afin de soutenir des projets pour ameliorer la qualite de l'education au sein des communautes autochtones. Toutefois, des etudes ont indique qu'un ensemble de problemes chez les enfants orang asli, par exemple les faibles resultats scolaires, l'abandon de la scolarite et les taux d'absenteisme eleves, les empechent de reussir. Pour contribuer a remedier a ces problemes, il faut developper des rapports plus favorables entre ces enfants et leurs etablissements scolaires. L'etude qualitative presentee dans cet article porte sur le role des accompagnateurs (des auxiliaires des enseignants) dans un programme intitule Let's Go to School (allons a l'ecole) organise dans une ecole de village a Pahang, en Malaisie. Des interviews semi-structurees ont ete realisees aupres de quatre personnes : deux anciens du village (qui ont servi d'accompagnateurs aux eleves), un directeur (principal) et un enseignant. Cinq sujets ont ete determines comme etant lies au role des accompagnateurs et au succes du programme : la confiance, l'engagement, un cadre propice, une politique et une reglementation appropriees et le soutien de la communaute. Cela a permis de conclure que les accompagnateurs faisaient fonction d'enseignants informels, qu'ils soutenaient efficacement les enfants bateks, ainsi que la communaute, tant sur le plan scolaire qu'a l'exterieur de l'ecole. Les resultats indiquent la necessite de modeliser comme il convient une education autochtone durable reconnaissant le role des accompagnateurs dans l'education des enfants bateks. Cette approche pourrait aussi etre etendue a d'autres communautes orang asli.