Blame politicians, education system for lack of national unity

 

From Moaz Nair

Racial diversity is not a threat to national unity and the problem of polarisation is due to a separation of different cultures, according to a report by the United Nations Development Programme.

In the local context, the shared values and tolerance of each other have been more conspicuous in multiracial schools at the primary level but this begins to deteriorate the moment students are streamlined or separated into schools or institutions with a single race denomination.

Since independence, politicians have come up with many well-crafted blueprints and strategies defining lofty measures to foster better race relations in the country. Yet, the country has always seen race relations at its lowest ebb.

Politicians and the education system are to be blamed for this abysmal state of race relations among Malaysians.

Policies are very disappointing

As long as there exist political parties based on race and religion the nation can forget about the idea of forging national unity. Regrettably, some politicians prefer race-based parties to stay relevant and some others favour religion-based parties for their political expediency – creating inseparable racial and religious clusters in the country.

Their rhetoric would then be to claim that their race and religion are under threat — an expedient political tool to dupe voters. This is also often repeated by politicians to brainwash government servants and those young minds attending educational institutions. The gambit trickled into some government agencies such as the National Civics Bureau (BTN) in those days.

This is akin to pitting people of one race and religion against the others and it has done enough damage to distance the majority race that has more political clout, population wise, from the minorities.

The national schools of today and some of the government policies are very forlornly disappointing when it comes to uniting the numerous ethnic groups in the country. This is causing some form of reticence among the minorities in the country.

The fretfulness has pulled them into cocoons of their own. To stay secure and relevant they opt for vernacular schools and the elite among them choose private schools for their children’s education and they send them overseas for their tertiary education.

The national schools today are spurned by many parents, as they have the perception that these schools have become more “religious” in essence. Religious zealotry among some politicians and in some schools have not led to racial unity. It has only led to resentment and seclusion among those who do not subscribe to this prejudicial doctrine.

Oddly, even within this single majority race there is a divide – an intra-racial divide where some parents feel that national schools are “not religious enough” for their children. They enrol their children in the numerous religious schools in the country, communally separating them from their own race.

Embrace the needs and aspirations of all

The minorities who are defined as non-Bumis apparently find it difficult to enrol themselves in some selected schools and colleges. The instinct to survive and progress has led them to search for alternatives and they find that by attending vernacular and private schools it would help them preserve their racial identity and be prepared for private sector opportunities upon completing their study.

Politicians should be aware that it takes a unified and impartial education system for the country to unite its people. Education that is progressive and unprejudiced plays a very important role in creating a tolerant and open-minded society.

The curriculum contents cannot be prejudicial to cater to a single race. It should embrace the needs and aspirations of all the existing cultures of the many ethnic groups in the country.

When children grow up together in schools where the curriculum is impartial, racial prejudices can be minimised. They grow up to value friendship among their schoolmates irrespective of their race or religion.

Common sense would tell us that racial diversity is not a threat to national unity provided children of different races and religions grow up together under a single national education system that segregates or discriminates no one. This can be seen in many of the developed as well as developing countries. The young attend schools which adhere to the national needs and aspirations of all parents.

There was a time when all races grew up in schools with tolerance for each other. Friendship among races then was sincere. Teachers in schools were multiracial and they never had any racial bias towards their students. Religion was then a non-issue. Many of these teachers taught with dedication in rural areas and schools where students were of a single race.

If the education system of a country fails to unite its people then we could see society becoming less tolerant of each other. This is one area that is given emphasis in many multiracial countries.

They nurture racial and religious tolerance through their education systems to later on adapt themselves well in the real-life environment where they are bound to work and interact with people of all races.

Put a stop to politics of race and religion

The country now is so unique that it has schools and institutions of higher learning built exclusively for the various races and even religions. It’s also unique that Malaysians can choose to go to numerous types of schools – vernacular, religious, private as well as national schools.

This is where students are separated culturally. Of course, it may not be acceptable to many to undo the system the country has now. Nevertheless, the government could do a lot more to make national schools attractive to all Malaysians.

It is as simple as stopping national schools from becoming religious-like schools, offering mother tongue languages to all, offering the Dual Language Programme where options are given for students to learn STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects in English in all schools and ensuring that the teaching staff are well represented following the country’s racial composition.

This has been voiced by many who want to see all Malaysians grow up united through a single progressive education system where stakeholders are not separated by their different cultures. The national schools should thus be seen as the “melting pot” for all Malaysians.

When pupils are segregated by race or religion, or by having different sets of schools for different ethnic groups in the name of education we are in actuality polarising education for the interest of a few self-seeking individuals. And this does not bode well for the nation. We are in fact, culturally untying our citizens.

To the politicians, put a stop to politics of race and religion and re-examine the nation’s education policies. Give equal education opportunities to all Malaysians so as to allow them to choose their career paths irrespective of their race and religion.

This is the only way forward for the country to achieve racial unity and there has to be a consensual political will and approach to achieve this mission.

Moaz Nair is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

✍ Credit given to the original owner of this post : ☕ Malaysians Must Know the TRUTH

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