History syllabus leaves much to be desired, teachers say
PETALING JAYA: Several teachers have voiced their dissatisfaction with the history syllabus for secondary school, saying it does not reinforce the patriotism and sense of belonging they believe the subject should.
They say it is too heavy on Malay-centric narratives and it excludes the global context of events, thereby giving students a limited perspective of Malaysia’s origins and the steps the country took to get where it is today.
V Chakaravarthy, the former principal of Setapak High School, said the influence of “Malay supremacist ideology” on education had led to the omission of important parts of the country’s history, causing students from Chinese and Indian backgrounds to feel under-represented in the very syllabus they have to learn.
“It’s so sad to see as an educator,” he told FMT. “Many children don’t know about key figures in this country.”
Giving an example, he said there was a lack of attention paid to R Ramani, a prominent constitutional lawyer who was elected president of the UN Security Council in 1965 and was pivotal in rebuffing the Philippines’ claim to Sabah.
“He was revered among his peers and was well respected when he went on overseas assignments,” he said. “But students don’t hear about him when they learn about the origins of the country.
“History has been badly distorted. It’s as if it belongs to just one group of people when it really should be a shared narrative.”
Two teachers who spoke to FMT asked to be anonymous.
One of them, who taught history for 20 years in Penang until 2009, said neglecting the contributions of non-Malays would erode the feeling of connectedness to the country that non-Malay students might have, making it easier for them to take their talents elsewhere in the future.
“When children are told how their ancestors helped build the country, you foster patriotism and a sense of belonging. Unfortunately, not everyone gets an equal opportunity.
“Yes, the rulers were very pivotal in developing the country, but what of the many Chinese and Indians mining tin and tapping rubber trees? Or building the railroads? Or the many Sikhs in the military?”
She said it was up to teachers to fill in the gaps and give students the “full story” regardless of what the syllabus contains.
A teacher in Kedah, who teaches history in Form 6, said the syllabus had historically failed to encourage true understanding of the importance of historical events and what they mean in a global context.
“Ideally, students should be taught how the past has shaped the present and what it tells us about the future,” she said. “Instead, history is often taught as a list of events without exploring how these events relate to each other.”
She also said the philosophy of “teaching students to pass exams” did not encourage them to think critically about history.
“It should be just about remembering dates and happenings. The students should be encouraged to think broadly about the context that events occurred in, the hows and the whys.”
She also said this was where teachers could step in, compensating for shortcomings in the syllabus by augmenting it with additional context. - FMT
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