Social Transformation, National Identity and Education Policies in Malaysia

Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid ； Mohd Hariszuan Jaharuddin

《Southeast Asian Social Science Review》 3卷1期 (2018/05) Pp. 53-85

https://doi.org/10.29945/SEASSR.201805_3(1).0003

摘要

This article argues that recurring communal problems in Malaysia can be traced to not only economic and social policies undertaken by pragmatically rather than ideologically-inclined National Front-led governments, but they can also be located to weaknesses of their educational policies which have failed to disentangle Malaysians from colonial knowledge which had epistemologically moulded the conceptions of 'race' and 'nation' as prevalent in Malaysia. The article seeks to show that, despite the apparent success of Malaysia's national education system in producing a relatively large number of skilled and semi-skilled workers who went on to form constantly expanding vibrant middle classes, these cohorts of new labour market entrants have largely failed to live up to expectations of them as socially progressive in the way envisaged by Wawasan 2020 - a liberal, rational, inclusive, scientific and progressive Malaysian nation. As a matter of fact, after fifty years, Malaysia's educational system remains unsuccessful in tackling its twin problems before independence - communal and class polarisation. We hereby argue that the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025, notwithstanding the hulabaloo which accompanied its launching, not only also fails to confront the critical issue of identity and nation-building, but it also lacks credible solutions beyond the colonial-designed educationl framework which accepts communal divisions as a fait accompli.

關鍵字

social transformation ； national identity ； education policies ； politics of education ； ethnic relations