1.0 Introduction
Multicultural education is an idea, an
educational reform movement, and a process (Banks, 1997). The purpose of
multicultural education is to seek and create education opportunity to all
students, despite race, genders, ethnics and minority groups. Malaysia is a
developing country and comprises of multi-races society. We want our children
to have good perspective of other culture and races in order for them to
respect and acknowledge. The educational system should not imply prejudice in
schools. Multiracial education is seen as an opening of offering to the
students for an equitable educational opportunity. If we are to dismiss multiracial, we are dismissing the ideals of equity and
social justice for our multicultural country. Therefore our government had
created a philosophy based on policy documents and our ideology with accordance
to our multi – ethnic society.
The government came up
with the National Education Philosophy. The philosophy is created with the
combination and integration of our Rukun Negara, National Economic Policy and
National Education Policy and taking into account the cultures of the Malaysian
society.
It has been a continuous
process since our independence, in line with our country’s development. After
several careful studies, the government came up with the Rahman Talib Statement
1960. Due to the vast growth of our country and to meet the era of science and
technology together with the National Economic Policy, another committee was
formed with their main objectives are to achieve the national unity in our
multi-ethnic society and also to increase the sense of patriotism, producing
skilled manpower for the nation development. And on 7th November
1979, the Cabinet Committee issued a report that was known as Review of the
Implementation of the Education Policy. With that, is the beginning of the
formation of our National Education Philosophy. And on 1988, was introduced in
writing by the Education Ministry.
The National Education
Philosophy : -
"Education in
Malaysia is an on-going effort towards further developing the potential of
individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals
who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and
harmonic, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God. Such an effort is
designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who
possess high moral standards and who are responsible and capable of achieving
high level of personal well-being as well as being able to contribute to the
harmony and betterment of the family, the society and the nation at large"
The interpretation of the
philosophy and it is quote “produce
individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically
balanced and harmonious, based on a firm belief and devotion to God…”.
Malaysia is multiracial, we have Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and many more,
are freely worshipped and embraced even though with Islam being the official
religion of Malaysia. The main objective of NEP is “to
produce Malaysian citizen that are capable of achieving a high level of
personality wellbeing to contribute to the betterment of the nation, family and
society” A holistic development must be apply to integrate all of the individual’s
potential through education, where as a medium, to bring out the most out of an
individual’s positive attitudes to enjoy peace spiritually and are always ready
to face life challenges.
NEP says, “Such an effort is designed to produce
Malaysian citizens’, who are knowledgeable and competent...” from the
phrase above we can understand on what the government wanted to strive and to
give out in education for its citizens.
“….. but what makes education a reality is a personal
relationship between teacher and pupil, and with personal relationships no
questions of equality can arise.” [40]
Bryan Wilson, (1975, pp.39-61)
Educators must not be influenced by
prejudice, biases and racism while maintaining respect to the student’s
cultural beliefs. Educators have to practice equality which is providing the
same amount of educations to all of the student despites the race and culture.
Educators also must practice equity whereby each student might not have the
same acceptance level as the others. Despite the equal level of education
through the classroom, educators must also make sure that the slow learners
also get what they were teaching.
2.0 Challenges
faced in teaching in a multiracial classroom/school
2.1 Cultural Differences
Malaysia has multiple
races and culture. These differences might cause misunderstanding and poor
social adaptations among students. Chinese are most likely to mingle with just Chinese
due to their culture that embeds individual growth rather than collective
growth. Malay will always play with Malay during recess because most of the
leisure time games such as Congkak and Batu Seremban are Malay’s game. Indian
are more on personal orientations to project social harmony within its culture.
These beriers will eventually effect classroom integrations that might cause
challenges to the educators.
2.2 Language Barrier
Currently, our educational
system utilises the national language as the medium of instruction and
unfortunately most of our students are still comfortable with their mother
tongue. Language barriers often go hand-in hand with cultural differences,
posing additional problems and misunderstandings in educational institutions.
When a person speaks little of the national language or English, they might or
can be intimidated and frustrated when trying to communicate with other
races. Students may act like they know
what is being said, but in fact, may not know what is actually being discussed.
We need to realise that it contributes to the lack of productivity, mistakes
being made or general lack of trust between the students and with the
educators. Mostly, we are used to using lingo, slang or jargon that is then,
without us realising it would create difficulties for other students from other
races. For example, someone not familiar with an expression could easily
misinterpret the term that actually doesn’t really mean as what is said. Also
some Malay sayings are not interpreted by other races correctly. As when asked
to one high school student from Sekolah Menengah Puteri Ampang, Sophia Fatimah,
15, she stated :
“One of my Chinese friends does not understand the Malay
saying ‘curi tulang’. She taught that it literally means someone stealing a
bone.”
She also states that when
her Chinese friend told her that she is her ‘Puhng yao’, she thought that it meant that she was her ‘penyu’, means turtle in Malay. Which is
correctly when translated ‘puhng yao’
means friend in Cantonese.
Turning to another pupil
from primary school, SK Puteri Pandan (1), Shana Norhazian, 11, she said that :
“I was jokingly telling my Indian friend to ‘berambus’. She
asked me back what is the meaning of ‘berambus’? I told her it is like saying
to go away. In which she thought, that it means broom or ‘penyapu’ in Malay.”
The case study shows that
even now, the problems faced are still the same as it is in the past. Be it in high
school or primary. It is not saying that they do not want to learn, but they
are not given the needed exposure to do so.
2.3 Religion Differences
“The Prophet (S.A.W) said, ‘No baby is born
but was born in a state of pure and
clean nature of sin. Then the parents who will make them
Jews or Christians or Magian’
[Hadith Riwayat Bukhari]”
[Hadith Riwayat Bukhari]”
Muslims parents always
concern about who their kids mingle with. They afraid that if the kids mingle
with Christians, they might be Christianised by their friends. So does other
religion. This misconceptions always leads to conflict in classroom. Parents
are preventing their kids to study together which then leads to uncooperative
lifestyle.
Children came to school
with many negative attitudes toward and misconceptions about other races ethnic
groups and beliefs. (Aboud, 2009; Stephen & Vogt, 2004). Henceforth, if it
is not properly managed, religious differences can become a source of conflict
and tension for the students in one community or school.
2.4 Curriculum Pedagogy Implementations
Multicultural
education emerged from the diverse courses, programs, and practices that
educational institutions devised to respond to the demands, needs, and
aspirations of the various groups. (Banks, McGee. C, 2010). Multicultural educations is always to be
misunderstood as a “Subject” rather than a process to be embedded into the
curriculum pedagogy
2.5 Conflict of Interest within The Education Staff
Speaking
of the truth, how many of us don’t want our race to be much superior then the
others. These views always sometime create a conflict of interest within the
educational system including the staff. Human Resources will hire only their
“kind” to be the educator. Student Recruitment will allow more of their race
into the institutions instead of giving the equal chances to the eligible
candidates.
How do we recruit or train our educators when
they are faced with these kind of problems or conflict? Are they sincere in admitting the equality of
everyone is as the same? Or just being hypocritical just for the sake of
upholding the philosophy? Educators are dealing with all of the perspectives,
basics cultural assumptions and references of the cultural frame. How are these
to be done?
3.0 Suggestions
/ Solutions
3.1 Overcoming Cultural
Barriers
The idea is to implement,
in school, the teaching on understanding the other cultures that is out there,
as a cross-cultural experience. This is not only for the students but for
fellow educators as well. In order for students to understand the social living
conditions of other groups or races, they will need to learn about the culture
and beliefs of the other groups or races. Therefore it can be implemented by
organizing different activities and program with the cooperation of the PTA’s.
Not only depending solely on history subject taught in school.
Activities that are
conducted needs to create more opportunities and rooms for our children to
mingle and socialize with their friends from different race and religion. As
the words of our Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, our current Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister of Education, ‘all school’s
need to take their own initiative in conducting certain programmes in fostering
coherency, tolerance and diversity between their students’.
It should be done duly in
all school activities and at all times and not just half way in order for the
culture and practice to be adopted and continue. Be it in sports activities or
academically, interjections must be based on the elements of coherence and
diversity within the composition of the participants.
3.2 Removing the Language Barriers
Language barriers are a common challenge in
multicultural education. It is nevertheless a two way process. As stated in the
NEP, the goals are to produce individuals that are able to contribute to
harmony socially and for the nation. Therefore having to understand what are
being conveyed is important for good communication and to build up
self-confidence in students. Educators need to have an approach to make these
students understand what they are teaching so that they won’t be left out from
education and won’t shy away from asking questions should they do not
understand what is being taught. Educators need to be more sensitive to what
they are saying and to enunciate clearly. Avoiding idioms is best. But if
idioms are used, be sure to explain back to the students the actual meaning, so
that they won’t be interpreting it wrongly. Constantly ask for clarifications
should the students understand what educators are conveying rather than going
on with the topic and assuming that all of them understands. This is important,
for students to catch up on their education and understand on what they are
learning. Always or try to be specific on topics taught, so that it won’t be
confused by the students. Most importantly, be patient. We must not expect that
the students understand you at the same ease when we are communicating with our
own race. Educational institute must provide courses for educators to learn a
second language that is specified for the needs of teaching multicultural
students. Because, language is the main core in any education and itself
depends on communication and on verbal coding of human knowledge.
3.3 Apprehending Religion
Differences
Being
the main religion and beliefs in Malaysia, Islam is also used as guidelines in
upholding norms and or regulations in the country. But even if Islam is the
main religion, still our respected government are not discriminating or
belittling other religions that are practiced by its citizens. Therefore as
stated in the NEP, “based on a firm belief in
and devotion to God”. It is normal when students in one educational
institute came in with fixed ideas on their own beliefs and how they see other
religions. The way to tackle this is to engage in a dialogue. This is necessary
although difficult, because we need the students to open up and to accept the
positive side of other religions. It takes a lot of courage to do this but,
when we see the students open up their thoughts, it means or demonstrate a
shift of attitude. Another way is demonstrating the common values among all the
religion so that the students will learn to appreciate it. For an example, made
by Fr. Jamal
Khader, Chairperson of the Department of Religious Studies, and Dean of the
Faculty of Arts at Bethlehem University when he wrote an article for Common
Ground News Service (CGNews) on “Overcoming Religious Prejudices Through
Education” in 13 December 2011.
“When I ask my students, for example, to tell me what they
like in the Gospel (which they read in the first week), some find it difficult
to answer. So I rephrase my question: what do you find in the Gospel that will
make you a better Muslim? This allows them to feel more relaxed and seek out
elements of the Gospel that they like.”
(paragraph 6, line 6)
“Although, the section on Judaism is limited, we feel that
the course tries to promote the common values of all three religions and that
the students learn to appreciate Judaism as the first monotheistic religion or
as the Muslim students put it: the first heavenly religion”
(paragraph
9, line 4)
Also as said
by (Hackman 2005; Oakes & Lipton
2003; Sleeter 2001)
“Critical reflection and dialogue encourages
self-interrogation and questioning of institutional practices that continue to
suppress human potential”
So, even though a student
might still believe that their own culture is still superior, but still there
will be an understanding that other students will have the same thoughts in
thinking that their own believes are superior as well. It is important that
educators knows the positive way to tackle these problems and not being
prejudice on either sides so that students can be more relax when dealing with
issues of religion and they will want to take it positively.
3.5 Assimilate
Multicultural Education in the Curriculum Pedagogy
Multicultural education
has incorrectly been viewed as merely curriculum reform that involves the
addition of content regarding diverse groups. It is, in fact, more
comprehensive than this limited conception and is characterized by five
dimensions: (Banks, 2004).
1) Content integration
It is the way on how the
educators use content and examples from different cultures to show the concepts
principle and theories in accordance to the subject that they are trying to
teach. The content must be complete and accurate and also acknowledging the
perspective of all ethnics or races. Most importantly the content that are to
be delivered must be free of prejudices, biases.
2) Knowledge construction process
This is a way of educating the
students by having them giving their own opportunities in forming their own
opinion or interpretations of one subject with a different perspective from the
usual literature.
The first process is
contribution approach. In this approach the focus is on inserting ethnic
heroes, holidays and other discrete cultural artifacts into the curriculum
(Banks, 1988). At this stage, educators will go beyond heroes, holidays or
other cultural activities by adding substantial material and knowledge about
what are being raised. This is the easiest step and commonly used in schools.
This can lead into forming a surface of basic information into understanding of
other cultures. The second approach is the additive approach. This approach is
to add in the all of information’s on ethnic contents, themes and perspective
into the curriculum but still having the basic structures of the curriculum
unchanged. Educators may have a reading session on classical books on other
ethnicity or races, but not only merely reading the content, but having them
discussing on the topic or book that they are reading. The next one is the
social action approach. This approach deals with important social issues, such
as racism and sexism. It is to be addressed as part of the curriculum. All
ideas and perspective from the students are brought forward as for their
learning experience. It is not only limited to text books but also alongside
with the media are given to the students to explore and discussed. The next
step is the transformation approach. Transformation approach will have to be in
restructuring or changing all that are in the curriculum, the perspective and
the goals. By doing this, educators will be able to provide the students on
viewing concepts, issues and also outcome from the eyes of the ‘other’ group of
people. The educators will put in new material with the current framework of
knowledge in order to provide the students new levels of comprehension based
from a much more accurate and complete curriculum.
3)
Reduction of Prejudice
How to reduce prejudice
for the ultimate aim of helping the students develop democratic attitudes,
values and behaviours are by intercultural curriculum. Having them have
positive contact with members of other race can reduce prejudice.
4)
Equity Pedagogy
This involves strategies
and environment to help students from diverse ethnic, cultural groups and race
to attain need knowledge and skills for them to create a democratic humane
society. Equity pedagogy is abandoning the traditional environment of a
classroom and also teaching strategies. By giving way to the students, the
teachers are to eliminate the authority that they have. In this new
environment, the student produces the knowledge. Implementation of this
pedagogy, the students will learn on constructing their own knowledge on how they
understand of the world around them and not only memorizing facts.
5)
Empowerment of School and Social Structure.
Occurrence of when the
transformation of the school structure to enable or allow students from all
diversity to experience the sense of empowerment and equality.
For the students to feel
empowered, school must be reformed through change in the curriculum and testing
procedures, as well as change in the actions and attitudes of teachers and
administrators (Banks, 1993b).
From the above, henceforth, teaching and training
techniques are and must be designed to help learners have multicultural
competence and preparing them to have the ability of facing the multiple facets
of multiculturalism. Honouring diversity must be included in the curriculum. The
goal of it is to not see diversity as an expected uniformity but also
desirable.
3.6 Removing the Conflict of Interest within the Educational Staff.
Educational staffs are the
pillars in realising multicultural education. For that matter, it is important
that they undergo appropriate training for further development of teaching,
knowledge skills and attitudes when they are put to the task of educating
multicultural students.
“Education courses for early childhood personnel should have
elements in both content and delivery that address diversity of cultures” (Verma 2003).
Educators must take a responsive approach in
teaching these children. To help them understand how their actions might later
may it be consciously or not on social inequalities in the society. This
approach will help develop children self-conscious awareness in relation to
society their surroundings. It is also vital that educators have the values of
understanding ann to appreciate humanity, cultures and the natural environment
interdependence. They must always practice mutual respect on whatever
differences or qualities of other races besides their own. They must always
acknowledge diversity as way of knowing not only ways of being.
4.0 Conclusion
Multicultural education
should be given an in depth research in order for it to make it in the
Malaysian market. Lots need to be done. The Ministry of Education should be taking on
initiative in ensuring that the school through the teachers and also the PTA’s
is out there carrying out their role. In realising the goals to continue using
educational institute as the best platform to encourage the spirit of coherence
amongst our children’s, the role of primary and secondary school will need to
be refine. Shortly there must be continuity between primary school to high
school in order for the education to be carried on and not be abandoned half
way. Primary school for example, need to focus more on the basics because
primary school are the first place that our children go to when they are put
out into the unfamiliar world besides their home and these are the place where
they mingle with other races other than theirs. Therefore this opportunity
needs to be benefited fully by the schools through programmes or activities
that can build up their spirit of coherence between each other. So, it is
important that fellow educators have the elements of creativity that can
transform the way to respect one another and to accept other friends from
different race or religion as an
exciting activity during class. If this is successful, then the continuance
towards high school, empowering the understanding about way of respect and
toleration between race and religion would be assisted. Children's nowadays are
smart. Therefore educators will need to create a refine way for them to
continue understanding and appreciate the spirit of national coherence.
The
truth is Malaysia has been experiencing great achievement with the reason of
the unity between all of its citizens from all races. It is with our biggest
hope that it shall be continued on by our future leaders.
5.0 References
1)
Banks, J.A. (1984). Multicultural education and its critics:
Britain and the United States. (In J.A. Banks (Ed.), Race, culture, and
education: The selected works of James A.Banks (pp. 181-190). Abingdon, Oxon:
Routledge.)
2)
Banks, J. (1993). Approaches to multicultural curriculum
reform. In J. Banks and C. Banks (Eds.), Multicultural education: Issues
and perspectives. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
3)
Aldridge, J., Calhoun, C. & Aman, R. (2000). 15 Misconceptions
About Multicultural Education. Reprinted from Focus on Elementary, 12(3).
4)
McIntosh, P. (2000). Interactive phases of personal and
curricular re-vision with regard to race. In G. Shin and P. Gorski
(Eds.), Multicultural resource series: Professional development for
educators. Washington, D.C.: National Education Association
5)
Banks, J. (1994). An introduction to multicultural education.
Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
6)
Verma, G. K. (2003). Ethnic Diversity and Multicultural
Education: Cross-cutting issues and concepts. Proceedings of The International
Conference on Globalization and Multicultural Perspectives in Education,
Penang, Malaysia, 3-4 Dec. 2003
7)
Ch.2 of Bryan Wilson, ed., Education, Equality and
Society, London, 1975
8)
Banks, J. A. (2004). Multicultural education: Historical
development, dimensions, and practice. In J. A. Banks, & et al. (Eds.),
Handbook of research on multicultural education (2nd ed. , pp.
3-29). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
9)
Banks, James. A. and Cherry A. McGee Banks (Eds.). Handbook
of Research on Multicultural Education (1995).
10)
Pastor Richard Bucher, Th.D. Why we baptize
babies? (The case for infant baptism)
[http://www.orlutheran.com/trinfbap.html]
11)
Jayaram, V. Hinduism
and the belief in rebirth, 2010. [http://www.hinduwebsite.com/reincarnation.asp]
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benih Perpaduan’. 8th March, 2012 issue
