Tucked away from the bustle of the city, deep within the forests and clear waters of Tasik Banding, stands a school that serves as a beacon of hope for Jahai Orang Asli children in the remote villages of the Royal Belum rainforest in Gerik, Perak.

SK Sungai Tiang, the only school in the area, serves 125 pupils from Year One to Year Six, and is accessible only by a nearly two-hour boat ride across the lake and through the jungle.

Despite the challenging terrain, the classrooms echo with the voices of Orang Asli children, who typically communicate in their native tongue, but are now learning to pronounce syllables and words in the national language and beginning to understand basic numbers.

Every word spoken and spelled out by these young learners reflects their determination to learn, despite limited resources, a tenacity now given new momentum with their school’s selection as one of 104 in Perak to join the “Anak Kita” programme.

(From left) Orang Asli pupils Amira Hasaan, Adham Hani and Nasri Zainal during class at SK Sungai Tiang. — Photos: Bernama

School headmaster Mohammad Rezal Shuib said the programme was a collaboration with Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, involving the placement of Guru Bitara (Master Teachers) from the local community to co-teach with remedial teachers, helping to ensure more effective communication and engagement with the pupils.

He said Orang Asli pupils faced significant educational challenges compared to mainstream students because of their different cultural and language backgrounds, as well as geographic, socioeconomic and environmental factors that shape their overall learning experience.

“The strength of the ‘Anak Kita’ programme lies in its ability to adapt to local challenges, making it a more inclusive and effective educational initiative.

“At SK Sungai Tiang, for instance, most students are from the Jahai tribe who speak their mother tongue.

“Having a Guru Bitara, who understands the local culture and language, makes learning smoother and more effective,” he told Bernama.

Launched on Sept 27 last year, the programme is a national education reform initiative under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The initiative is led by the Finance and Education Ministries, in collaboration with Unit Pantau Madani (UPM), Yayasan Hasanah, three public universities and seven civil society organisations, with UPM overseeing its implementation until December this year.

Mohammad Rezal said the remedial classes yielded positive results, although students progressed at different rates depending on their abilities.

“For example, some students could previously only write single letters like ‘A,’ but now they are able to combine them into syllables such as ‘K-A’ and spell simple words like bola (ball), even if they are not yet fluent.

“When they see letters like ‘L’ and ‘A,’ they can now identify the corresponding sounds, which is a significant achievement.

“Their reading may still be slow, but we can see clear progress,” he said.

Education deputy director- general (Policy and Curriculum Sector) Dr Rusmini Ku Ahmad said the programme was designed to address three key post-pandemic education challenges: mastery of the 3M skills (reading, writing, counting), SPM performance and student dropout rates.

The 3M component currently supports 53,252 pupils across 1,288 primary schools.

Meanwhile, the SPM programme provides academic assistance, particularly in core subjects such as Bahasa Melayu, History and Mathematics, to 10,119 students from 327 schools in 2024 and 20,000 students from 905 schools this year.

The Dropout Student programme is a targeted initiative aimed at reintegrating at least 500 out-of-school students into the education system through focused support, including transportation, school supplies, food vouchers and counselling.

UPM director-general Mohd Khalid Mohamed Latiff said the 3M component had benefitted pupils across Perak, Kedah, Kelantan, Johor, Selangor, Sabah and Sarawak, with marked improvements in literacy and numeracy since its rollout earlier this year.

Yayasan Hasanah Education Advocacy senior manager Aeti Abdullah attributed the programme’s impact at SK Sungai Tiang to its ability to adapt to the unique needs of each school.

“It doesn’t rely on a one-size-fits-all model. 

“Its success is best reflected in the voices of the students, the commitment of school leaders and the dedication of educators who consistently go above and beyond.

“The next step is to scale, support and sustain these efforts nationwide.

“What’s working at SK Sungai Tiang shouldn’t be an exception; it should become a model for systemic change across the country,” she said.

Students attend two remedial classes each week, one each for Bahasa Melayu and Mathematics, using a specially developed module designed for remedial learners, she added.

The classes are co-taught by a remedial teacher and a Guru Bitara, with student progress closely tracked.