“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” ― WB Yeats
FEBRUARY 9 — The Ministry of Education (MOE) refers to the ‘lost generation’ or its more familiar Malay term ‘murid cicir’ as school dropouts or children who are not in the school system. In recent times, this term has also begun to encapsulate the frighteningly high number of school-going children who have yet to master the basic learning skills: Reading, writing, and arithmetic despite their age due to the pandemic.
Up until the 3rd of February this year, from the data collected by the #UntukMalaysia team, a total of 1.181 children from Standard 1 to 6 are reported to be part of this lost generation; this includes to six- to twelve-year-olds who have yet to master reading and writing. Notwithstanding, about 40 per cent of those numbers are children who are about to enter secondary school in a year or two. This does not account for the students that go unreported due to limited internet access or lack of exposure. It is estimated that the number could triple if a more cohesive search and report efforts are being done.
That is staggering.
Yet, there are more nuances to the issue. The current data has shown that eight out 10 children come from low-income or B40 households. About half of those numbers are from the B40 B1 category, or those with monthly household income less than RM2,500. This spells out a lack of resources to purchase the right equipment to help kids with online learning.
There is also the possibility that the group’s initiation into the ‘lost generation’ class has begun months or years before Covid-19, as the data on illiteracy among Standard 2 to 6 suggests. Economic struggles and financial obligations have been proven to deter children from finishing school. Environmental factors may also push children from among the B40 group further down the ladder of academic survival. According to a report by International Labour Organization, those residing in housing projects in urban areas around Malaysia are more likely to feel the impact of the lockdowns due to congested living areas and lack of space for social distancing or to work and attend school from home. In other words, being poor can accentuate the sense of exclusion among schoolchildren with learning challenges.
The phenomenon is not solely unique to Malaysia. Unicef has reported that globally, 1.5 billion children have no access to online learning, which consequently leaves them out of the fundamental skills that are needed to excel academically. If the situation in the pandemic continues, the number could grow up to six times. As the pandemic unfolds in Malaysia, the need for the government and NGOs to take a substantive, and radical action swiftly is crucial.
For almost a year, online learning has haunted teachers, students, and parents with surmounting issues of unstable or non-existent internet access, unavailable gadgets in certain households that impede students’ participation, and various other environmental problems. Some parties have taken the initiative to provide students with laptops, tablets, and smartphones to ease their learning process. However, to the lost generation, this generosity is futile; if the children cannot master the basic learning skills, there is no use in attending or trying to understand what is being taught in online classes.
The weight of extending assistance does not rest solely on teachers. As many of us have observed or even experience, teachers and lecturers have to multiply their usual work during the pandemic as online classes require educators to be fully competent in using online platforms like Google Classroom and Zoom, as well as to be friendly towards their device’s camera.
On top of this adjustment, there are live classes as well as pre-recorded classes for kids with setbacks mentioned earlier. There is no need to elaborate on the teachers’ burden here. Many of us have long sympathised with their struggles during the lockdowns. We know what we need to do: to help the lost generation get on track by equipping them with literacy so they can keep up with school.
Children who cannot keep up are more likely to feel excluded, and inevitably, give up on school. What we need now is the how; how can we help?
We, #UntukMalaysia has stepped up to try and remedy the situation. Starting from January, a nationwide search for school children with learning challenges and changemakers- volunteer tutors who will devote two hours weekly of their time for 10 months to tutor two kids.
The goal is to enable these children with the basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic. The changemakers will undergo training to be well-versed with the #KitaBaca module developed by our #UntukMalaysia Educational Consultant, Putri Afzan, the founder of Kinderkaizen.
Our approach is focused on making learning fun with the philosophy of playing is learning. The adoption of this method is to ensure that the feeling of exclusion or left-behind is replaced by the joy and enthusiasm for learning. The changemakers will be trained to be wary of the children’s’ safety, to ask them “Do you feel safe?” and observe their reactions to the lessons. It touches me to know, the academic help we are offering is not solely for their cognitive development but exposes them to a colourful and happy memory of learning that, I hope, may impact them for a long time.
The launch of the programme in February will tackle the first batch of almost 50 students nationwide. As the programme progress, it is hoped that more can be included in the initiative. Of course, more Changemakers are needed.
Malaysians have been more than generous during the pandemic; many forking out from their own pockets to help the thousands and millions who suffer during these extraordinary times. This is now a call to commit time and indeed, more money. There is no other reason for this but to make sure no one gets left behind. The pandemic has already exposed the ugly rift between the haves and has not in this country, as well as the disparity between the urban and the rural. If the lost generation remains lost, we truly have failed our children who will inherit this country from us, or worst, inheriting to them a devastating future that will be filled with disparities and inequalities.
*This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
