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Partnered schools in Perak and Kelantan welcome the Voices of the Rainforest

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Partnered schools in Perak and Kelantan welcome the Voices of the Rainforest
Children from the Jahai indigenous community in Sungai Rual, in district of Jeli, Kelantan, benefit from new school facilities, including fully equipped infrastructure and hostel accommodation

The Voices of the Rainforest project is advancing rapidly as the Principal Investigator (PI), Dr Syafiq Mat Noor, visited partnered schools in Perak and Kelantan from 19 to 29 August 2024. The visits aimed to build relationships and strengthen collaboration with schools that will play a pivotal role in the implementation of the project. 

The PI visited two schools in Perak—Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Tiang and Sekolah Kebangsaan RPS Banun—and one in Kelantan, Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Rual. These schools are integral to providing early education for the Jahai indigenous communities involved in the project. 

Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Tiang is located in the remote interior of the Royal Belum State Park, a protected, undisturbed and pristine rainforest that is one of the oldest in the world at more than 130 million years old. The school can only be accessed by a 60–90-minute boat ride facilitated by the school’s Headmaster, Mr Mohd Rezal Shuib, with transportation provided by a local Jahai boat operator from Sungai Tiang. Given its location within the Royal Belum Forest Reserve, research permits were obtained through the Perak State Parks Corporation. 

Sekolah Kebangsaan RPS Banun, located in Kampung Air Banun, primarily serves Jahai children. During discussions with the Headmaster, Mr Mohd Zamarol Ahmad, strong support and full commitment to the project were pledged. Over the years, the school has received significant attention from both governmental and non-governmental sectors, which often provide welfare support for the children. These organisations frequently run activities at the school to contribute to the education of the indigenous community. 

In Kelantan, Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Rual serves Jahai children from the Jeli district, although the Jahai population in this area is smaller compared to Perak. Discussions with the Headmaster, Mr Ahmad Hayani Awang, provided valuable insights into the demographics of the school and the educational needs of the nearby Jahai community. The school was recently provided with new facilities by the government, including hostel accommodation, to support the education of Jahai children both during school hours and beyond. 

The visits also allowed the PI to conduct eight interviews with teachers across the three schools, exploring their perceptions of indigenous education, traditional ecological knowledge, and climate change education. These discussions, both formal and informal, provided valuable insights into the unique challenges and opportunities of educating indigenous children in these areas, serving as preliminary data for the research. 

The school visits and teacher interviews were conducted with the full approval of the Educational Policy Planning and Research Division, Ministry of Education Malaysia (ref: KPM.600-3/2/3-eras(20590)), Department of Orang Asli Development (ref: JAKOA.PP.R.004 JLD 7 (06)) and the respective state education departments in Perak (ref: JPNPk.SPS.USJK.600-1Jld.13(14)) and Kelantan (ref: JPNKN 600-1/1/2 Jld 2 (28)).