EDU 3063

Topic 4
Inequality of
Education Opportunity
9th March 2015
by
Sharil Aizat Sulaiman
Sabira Khosin
Tan Meau Lin

4.0 Introduction

4.1 Inequality of Educational Opportunity

4.1.1 Concept of inequality of Educational
Opportunity
4.2 Elements of the Educational Opportunity
Creation Disparity
4.2.1 Social Class
4.2.2 Gender
4.2.3 Minority Groups
4.2.4 Groups with Special Needs
4.3 Issues on inequality in Educational Opportunity
4.3.1 Aboriginal Students ( Orang Asli)
4.3.2 Indigeneous people ( Peribumi)
4.3.3 Interior Areas
4.4 Summary

Introduction
Coleman Report (1966) actually documented the low
performance among minority groups and poor
children due to the lack of teaching resources in their
schools.
The report found many differences among school not
in terms of learning resources in the schools but in
terms of the impact of students family
background.
One of the ways to reduce the gap between the
upper class with the rest of the population is to
increase the equality of educational opportunity
among people regardless of gender and race.
Therefore, the Ministry of Education Malaysia has
been working to improve the situation in order to
close the gap between populations, in order to
increase the quality of education.

Inequality of Educational Opportunity

4.1.1 Concept of inequality of Educational
Opportunity
Inequality: can be defined as views,
thoughts and beliefs that there is a
distinction between members or other
ethnic groups from various aspects such
as facilities, equipment, career
opportunities and so on.
Inequality of educational opportunity :
situation where to all residents because
of certaiaccess to education is not
evenly distributedn factors.

In the Malaysian context,

education inequality may be due
to several factors : location of the school
student background
socioeconomic status
academic achievement
Students interest
the chances of survival
socialization and language

Elements of the Educational

Opportunity Creation Disparity
Social Class
A group of people of similar status, commonly
sharing comparable levels of power and wealth.
In sociology, social classes describe one form of
social stratification.
The grouping of people by occupations. Doctors
and lawyers and university teachers are given more
status than unskilled labourers.
The different positions represent different
levels of power, influence and money.
No matter how it is defined, it still represents the
diversity of lifestyle or income in a similar race.
(Meighan)

Classification of Social
Classes

Comm
on

Karl
Marx

Upper
class

Bourgeoisi
e

Middle
class

Has a source
of
production,
distribution
and
exchange

Lower
class

Proletari
at
Has only
labour

Max
Weber

Upper
Rich or corporate
Upper middle
educated
professional+ good hold
in the organization
Middle
lower
High school graduates +
certificates holders

Working class/ Blur

Collar
Restaurants and factories
workers
Lowest

Lowest

Low qualification and

never have formal
education

Existence of Inequality
High-income elite :
Have financial capacity.
Access to a variety of educational options and
opportunities available, whether within or outside
the country.
Capable of meeting all the requirements related
to the education of their children.
The students get balanced nutrition and
supplements to upgrade their intelligence
Upgrade other facilities that may not be derived
from the low-income students.
Lower classes :
Do not have a strong financial base to fund their
children's education

Information and Communication

Technology
Upper social class
Able to provide various types of equipment
Their children can access information and material
assistance of virtual learning easily and quickly .
Lower group
Not able to enjoy unrestricted access to
information
Lack of ability to supply equipment and internet
access to their children.
The access through the Internet can provide a
borderless world for students from high social class
compare to lower class group who are deprive of all the
facilities.

Gender
In most of the countries, gender gap still
exists significantly.
In Cambodia, access to secondary school
were 19% for women and 30% for men,
while in Papua New Guinea, the amount of
21% female and 27% male (Noriati)
65% of girls attend secondary school
compared with 54% of men in Philippines,
Mongolia and Malaysia.
One of the main reasons is that boys end
their formal education and work full-time to
supplement family incomes.

However
Empowerment is one-sided where
girls are always neglected.
Gender inequalities in the school
lack of security among women
gender bias in textbooks and teaching
materials.

Besides, women has always been

portrayed as limited in skills and often
linked women to certain jobs in society.

Gender Inequality
It has been a phenomena in the teaching profession.
The number of women are more than the men.
In many countries, men dominate higher positions
in the profession but the scenario has since changed.
Curriculum construction and revision need to raise an
understanding on how students and teachers react
towards the learning materials.
This is necessary as students differ in their thinking and
learning styles.
In some countries, female students are not allowed
to undertake subjects such as carpentry,
technical or advanced mathematics that can
improve their
career opportunities.

Improvement
Improvement can be done by changing the
pedagogical practices.
Changes in teaching and learning process should
take place in an effective manner by
considering sensitivity towards gender
issues in the classroom.
Teachers should be aware that girls, just like
boys, are able to give responses in classroom is
an example of sensitivity of teachers on gender
aspects and this need to be inculcated.
The notion that girls are less skilled and
interested in mathematics and science should be
reduce and the teacher should ensure that there
is impartial to everyone.

Minority Groups
Refers to a small group of people of the same race, religion,
culture and so on living in a place that the majority of the
inhabitants of different race, religion, etc. (Kamus Dewan 2007)
In Malaysia, Malay is the majority group while other groups such
as Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Iban, Bidayuh, indigenous people
and other ethnic groups are minorities.
Aboriginal considered a minority group in Malaysia as the
numbers did not reach 141,230 people and they stay in rural
and remote areas where they seem to be marginalized in most
aspects.
They had a distinct feature of the physical, cultural,
economic and behaviour that caused them to lag behind the
mainstream.
Efforts have been made by the Ministry of Education to bridge
the gap between minority groups and the majority especially in
the inequality of educational opportunities.

 Other minority groups such as indigenous

groups in Sabah and Sarawak also faced
the issue of inequality of educational
opportunities as a result of their location in
the interior parts of Sabah and Sarawak.
These places are deprived of basic amenities
such as clean water, electricity,
communication and transportation,
infrastructure, and basic supplies to
school.
These factors contribute to high dropout
rates, wide student achievement gap as
compared with the majority, and the digital gap
amongst students and teachers are too wide.

Minority in particular school

Minority groups also exist in a particular school in

the locality.
There may exist a minority group of Malays and
Indians in national-type Chinese School.
At the National type schools, the minority group
consists of Chinese, Indians and other ethnic groups.
The school should be aware and concerned about the
way of life and culture of a particular race which form
the minority groups are not marginalized in the
educational opportunities available.
They should also be given equal opportunity to
achieve their goals.
Teachers should be able to adjust and adapt the
existing curriculum to suit all students, regardless of
race, religion and culture.

Groups with Special Needs

Intellectually, physically, or emotionally
and socially considered special where
parents and teachers focus more
attention to them than normal students.
Autism
Down syndrome
Dyslexia
Learning difficulties
Hearing and visual impairments
Gifted
Behavioral disorders

 Inequalities in educational opportunities for

this group exist where there is a lack of
opportunities for them to learn in the 19th
century.
However, now they have access to education
at the primary, secondary and university
level.
Primary School (St. Nicholas) in Penang
Princess Elizabeth School in Johor Bahru
The two earliest primary school provides
education for children with visual disabilities,
respectively in 1926 and 1949.
(Wong Huey Siew and Sandiyao Sebestian,
2002; as cited in Noriati et.al, 2011).

 According to Noraini Salleh (1995, as cited in Noriati et.

al, 2011) before the year 1960, the community of
students with special needs in our country is provided
with education at the primary level only.
They do not have the opportunity to continue their
studies at the secondary school level in the period
between the year 1949 until 1962.
This is because in 1962, the group has been awarded
with the opportunity to continue their education in
secondary schools through the merger plan.
Before independence, the government is not directly
involved in providing educational facilities for the
students with special needs.
This responsibility has been borne out by voluntary
organizations.
Inequality of educational opportunity is very
significant because the focus is on normal pupil.

After independence
Government have played an active role in the
education of students with special needs
Provides the basic needs of exceptional students as set
out in the Education Act 1961.
The matter was referred in the Country Report Malaysia,
2000.
This is consistent with the Education Act 1961, which
stated that the government recognizes the special needs
children have the right to attend formal schooling.
In the Cabinet Committee Report (1979) also noted many
changes made to the development of special education in
the country.

Among other things, all children with special needs

should be provided with facilities and services of
high quality.

Today
Special Education Schools (SMS) are available
for students with special needs so that they
can be independent and contribute to the
country.
Ministry of Education Special Education unit
integrates the mainstream schools with
inclusive approach in regular school.
This is in line with the international aspiration
where education is provided for all
(Education For All).

The inequality of educational opportunities in

terms of the gap can be narrowed as follows:
School physical facilities and special equipment
needs to be modified according to the degree
and type of disability.
sports equipment
science laboratory
information and communication technology
computer lab.
Expertise of special education teachers, where
specially trained teachers to educate students
with special needs in order to address student
learning problems.
Use appropriate curriculum with special needs
students. This is related to the formation and
construction of individual lesson plans for

Overall
Ministry of Education has been working to
bridge the gap of inequality of educational
opportunity for special needs children.
Our government has implemented Special
Education Program Integration, Inclusive
Classroom, and Special Education School.
Early intervention programs KIA2M, special
rehabilitation program, the program targets at
the PROTIM 3M (3M recovery program is the
support and strengthening of the special
recovery) can address the problems faced by
student studying in the early stages of
schooling.

Issues on Inequality in
Educational Opportunities
1.

Aboriginal students

Peninsula Malaysia- There are 18 sub-ethnic groups generally classified

for official purposes under Negrito, Senoi and Proto-Malay

Sarawak -Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Melanau, Penan and

other natives

Sabah- Kadazan-Dusun, Bajau, Murut.

They have diverse cultures, traditions and ways of living, beliefs, and
languages depend on their ethnicity and the location

 Negritos- northern Perak and Kelantan, a

small nomadic way of life according to certain

seasons.
Senoi- along the hillside of Titiwangsa
Mountains in the state of Perak, Kelantan and
Pahang.
Proto-Malay- traditional Malay villages in
Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor.
The majority of indigenous people are still
marginalized from the mainstream education
because of the lack of infrastructure and
complete infrastructure in the area where they
live.

The major issues

1. Low school enrollment and high
dropout rates

This is due to
.The attitude of the parents did not care Aborigines
.Natural parents are not aware of the importance
of education.
.When their daughter was 10 or 11 years, they were
asked to stay home to take care of their brothers and
doing housework, while boys will follow father into the
sea to catch fish. There are also indigenous children who
do not attend school for helping families make a living.

2. Performance of aborigines
students is very low

No healthy competitive nature in terms of

the progress of education in society Aborigines.

Aboriginal less developed in all aspects of
either socio-economic or economic.
They also lag behind in academics and this
is associated with their academic background is
low

3. The lack of interest in

learning among

This is related to the general characteristics of

the indigenous people.

In general, the Orang Asli are humble, shy,
passive, and do not like being forced to do
something, sensitive, enjoys freedom of
movement, prefer physical activity, do not like
to work individually and prefer to work in
groups.

 In addition, the Orang Asli people were less

mentally resilient and have a short memory.

Therefore, they are easily bored and lose
interest in learning. They also appreciate the
importance of education because of lack of
exposure and lack of awareness about the
importance of education is still at a low level.

4. Indigenous people
follow the same
curriculum as mainstream

The lessons taught in the national language

and not in their native language.

This makes it difficult to understand the
lessons taught as they felt that the curriculum
is not relevant and is useful to their lives.

They place importance on

the events in the village
and the life style that gives
ample of freedom to their
children.
5.

Parents who are concerned about their children's education

give them freedom without the control of school attendance.
Indigenous community does not like and do not like to be
bound by routines.
Therefore, teaching and learning very difficult if students do not
adhere to classroom routines.
Without effective classroom management, teaching and
learning of indigenous students is very difficult to implement by
teachers.

Many Orang Asli parents are poor

and thus they are unable to provide
a good learning environment and
well-balanced meals for their
children.
6.

 Interior Areas
1. Rural communities, especially in the remote areas
face issues on the inequality of educational
opportunities because there are schools that do not
have basic amenities

For example, according to the Ministry of Education

(2001),
-20.6% of primary schools have no telephone lines,
-86.6% do not have a fax machine,
-7.3% were unable to electricity
-24.8% did not receive public piped water.

2. Shortage of trained teachers for primary

schools remains an issue in remote and
rural areas.
shortage of teachers in critical areas such as
science, mathematics and English;
lack of qualified teachers for special
education;
lack of qualified male teachers hindered the
implementation of cocurriucular activities.

Education gap between

location, socioeconomic status
and ability levels of students in
the interior areas
3.

Physical facilities in terms of infrastructure

development and education is needed to
bridge the education gap between rural
schools and urban schools.

 4. One of the issues of inequality of educational

opportunities in the interior is the digital divide,

namely the existence of differences in terms of
access to wireless information and
communications technology (ICT) in interior
areas and proficiency in ICT among students
and teachers.
Lack of infrastructure and basic facilities such
as electricity and telephone lines will hinder
telecommunication networks such as the
Bestarinet to be accessible to remote schools.

5. School wih low student population (Sekolah

Kurang Murid-SKM) is also an issue in rural and
remote areas
Most of these schools have poor school
buildings and lack of basic necessities for
learning.
In addition, students who live in remote areas
have problems with communication and
transport between their houses to school and
some students do not attend school or come
late to school. This leads to high dropout rates
in such schools.

Thanks.