Orang Asli village celebrates new children’s folklore storybooksNEWS RELEASE PULAU CAREY, KUALA LANGAT, 11 October 2010 – Some 300 Orang Asli villagers gathered at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Bumbun here today to celebrate the launch of a new children’s folklore storybook series. The books titled Koleksi Cerita Rakyat Masyarakat Orang Asli (Volume 1 & 2) are a compilation of age-old folklore, put together by 20 Orang Asli teachers from the Jakun, Mah Meri, Semai, Semalai and Temuan sub-ethnic groups. The books are an effort by the Ministry of Education, ExxonMobil and UNICEF to improve learning for Orang Asli schoolchildren in Malaysia and to preserve their cultural heritage. Teachers from 94 Orang Asli majority primary schools nationwide will be using these books as part of their teaching aid. UNICEF Representative to Malaysia, Mr. Hans Olsen, said the books are to complement the Ministry’s Special Remedial Education program to introduce alternative interventions to support learning by Orang Asli children.
“These storybooks are important because children have an innate love for stories and stories can link not only between the world of the classroom and home but also between the classroom and beyond. More importantly is that the stories in the books are interesting and relate specifically to the Orang Asli cultural background and way of life,” said Mr. Olsen. "UNICEF believes that every child has a right to learn the customs of their families even if these are not shared by the majority of people in the country." The process of producing the storybooks is important for the Orang Asli community as it went through consultation with, and was compiled by, Orang Asli teachers themselves. The Orang Asli community can say these books are truly their own in content and context. The Ministry of Education, ExxonMobil and UNICEF believe the books will enhance learning experience for Orang Asli schoolchildren. The storybooks are already being used in classrooms and in some states, they are required reading in Bahasa Melayu classes. The project is in line with the Government’s plan to reduce urban-rural disparities through improvement in learning abilities among rural schoolchildren. By making learning interesting, using content that are relevant to the community, improvement in school attendance and literacy can be expected among Orang Asli schoolchildren. An earlier study by UNICEF and the Ministry of Education showed that with the right learning tools, in this case a series of stories they can relate to, Orang Asli schoolchildren can markedly improve their reading and writing skills, and thereon continue to remain in school. ..............................................................................................UNICEF’s Education Programs in Malaysia For more information, please contact: Indra Kumari Nadchatram Juana Jaafar
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11 October 2010:
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