EDUCATION FOR ALL

Recently, despite of the existence of school KAFA in Kampung Bahagia, there are still many refugees children don’t know how to read and write. This problem traced as the KAFA began its operation last two years. Although this dilemma just made known lately, in previous years it already became a problem of some parents who have the desire to send their children to school. There are parents successfully sent their children to school while the other failed. There are many factors contributing to this problem especially on the side of parents who were easily wilt should they encounter challenges. Based on general opinion, there are three reasons that contribute to the continuous existence of educational problem among the refugees: firstly, the lack of interest of some parents to give their children’s education, secondly, not accessible to any government and private schools because they are refugees. Thirdly, the busyness of the parents in searching for daily survival is also contributing to it.

There are cases some parents only send their children to school just to learn the basic of read and write. If there children knew it all the parents would discourage them from entering school. Some parents rather choose to let their children to work in factories, sell fishes in the market and help them at home than to let their children to continue their studies.
The effect of educational problem among the refugees’ children in the past has been felt today. Most of the refugees’ children who have no access to education before are now facing the consequences as they want to have stable job to sustain their families. By now they realize the important of education to their lives. The only hope which they have in mind is that they don’t want their children to mimic their failure on education.

Refugees are not at all time seeking refuge. Someday they will become like anyone, free to go anywhere. As long as they are here in Malaysia, they will soon be given status of permanent residence. Sooner or later they will soon live anywhere in Malaysia. If they have no adequate knowledge how they can contribute to the economy of Malaysia?

I believed it’s only educated individual who have more concern about development, peace and harmony within the society. Since the refugees also exist as human and also partially part of Malaysian society, help them to find ways and means that can possibly bring in the light of knowledge to their midst without any hindrance. If it’s difficult to the government of Malaysia to reconsider the acceptance of refugees to admit in government schools even just in private will do so that the refugees’ children will not grow uneducated.

We thank the Malaysian government for giving the school KAFA.