Sunday, December 09, 2007

Hmm....

Just reading the Uthant Chuat's site entitle Performance of Dayak Student in PMR 1997 at Ruai Aku..

In 1995, I sat for my PMR and scored straight A with another two Iban students Mosidi Lanting and Nawik Jabi. There's nothing to worry about during my school day... Studied in Sekolah Berasrama Penuh make me feel that Iban is quite 'okay' in education especially the 100% Iban's boy Mosidi Lanting always been the Top 5 student and I just follow him from behind (among the top 10). But at that time there was no 'Iban' for us I guess... There was Kenyah, Kayan, Chinese, Malay and Melanau in our class. We felt like in a one family growing up together to achieve our dreams. Unlucky for us when 1997 there was an economic crisis in our country and we only can pursue our study at local university.

Posting as a teahcer to rural area 2004 make me realised the real problem of Iban heading to the higher education. Until now I keep on asking myself the major problem why Iban students very weak in their English, Science and Math subjects. Science for example is a very interesting subject to learn. I just don't know why.... The parents? The culture? The teacher? The environment?

How many Iban reading this post? Just let me know.... Especially the Iban from my place... thanks...

agi idup agi belajar...

7 comments:

Indai Dara said...

maioh kebuah utai tu nyadi tang ka ka balat amat ngasuh kitai kurang ba english, maths n science ari segi enviroment kitai Iban. Maia ka agi nyadi cigu suba puas berunding nama kebuah anak Iban selalu tinggal dibanding ka engau urang bukai.

Anonymous said...

It's our culture, especially in the rural areas.

I'm sure you've heard some older people saying things like we can't compete with others because we aren't "as good" or "as clever". This kind of talk discourages young people since we are supposed to listen to our elders, aren't we?

We have this problem where we think that we aren't as good as other people, esp the Chinese when it comes to Science and Maths subjects.

A kid can try to do his best, but sometimes his/her other peers will accuse him/her of "acting Chinese". This happened in my school before among the Iban students. Same goes when you try to speak English. Always got some idiot who will accuse you of being "lawa" and "sumbong" for speaking English.

Even worse, sometimes this kind of talk comes from his/her parents and relatives.

I remember very well from my own childhood.

Some kids just ignore this and go ahead with their studies. Others can't handle it and get discouraged.

We Ibans have a very bad case of low racial self esteem and are very, very afraid of change and competition, especially those from poorer backgrounds. It's one of those factors that are holding us back.

In order to succeed, we need to overhaul our entire social structure to be more open and more accepting of challenges. How to do this? I have no idea...

hornbill said...

Mac... agree with you. Until now I'm still struggling with my vocabulary and grammer in English. I try my best to upgrade myself but some peoples surround me always making fun with my English... 'ngisin diri, ba menua Iban pen ka bejaku orang putih'... And sadly... some of them are graduates..

One of my cousin quite good in her study but never come to us for help... She said to her parents 'enggai aku begulai enggau sida ia pandai'.

daradesa said...

grace..i like ur idea to post this matter..aku empu pen agi belajar bejako org putih..tunggang telanggang. aku setuju enggau mac....leboh ka bejako org madah kitai isin sombung macam2 agi nya pen siti kebuah anak kitai iban enda maju dlm bejako org putih...nadai diteleba ke enggau jako org putih eg. macha bup org putih meda cerita org putih lebih agi ba luar bandar(kaw.pedalaman). siti penyakit ti paling ketara ba bansa kitai iban ya nya kelalu kak ngemeli ke org lain serta sombong bodoh n maioh PHD..nya pen tau nyadi kebuah kitai jauh tertinggal ari org lain...banding enggau anak ti diau ba bandar..ari mit di ajar jako org putih..pokok pangkal ya nya ati kitai empu enti kitai kak mujur kitai enda mending ke jako org ti ngemeli ke kitai..arap grace ulih meh ngubah nasit bala anak bansa kitai sekurang2nya meri kesedaran ngagai sida lebih agi bala sida ke agi baru kak ngelala 'dunia' sebenar..chaiyo..chaiyo...

hornbill said...

Enda ulih ngubah kelalu mayuh... siku dua cukup enggai ke enda alah. Tang ngarap ke ulih nyadi inspiration ngagai orang bukai.

Kasih amat kitai tu... Kelalu sinu ke diri pen enda ulih. Enti ka maju mesti bisi aim and go for it. Kada ke diri empu ulih... hmmm....

Chris Anakapai said...

yeah,
aku setuju enggau pendapat2 tu. selalu org ti ka improve diri empu 'accused' as 'malu ke diri empu Iban'. selalu aku ninga serta dikejako ka org baka nya.
tapi semua nya tepulai ngagai sida empu. dunia tu majak berubah. changes are constant and fast. sapa enda ulih nitih ka leka tabuh dunia, tinggal meh sida ila.
nama utai ulih digaga kitai as pengajar?just to create awareness serta guide nembiak tang ukai semua (baka ko grace, ni ulih siko pengajar nyau ngubah mayuh...)cukup meh ngubah dua tiga dulu, udah sida tu maju, enchelak mata sida ke bukai ila.
bah, ukai cikgu aja empu tanggungjawab tu, tang semua kitai ke udah sedar meh.
p/s: dah ngaga kuih ba ngiu kee grace?

Anonymous said...

Nya meh penyakit bansa kitai tuk. Aku bisi ga berunding nama kebuah bisi bala kitai bakanya.

Pelaba aku engka bisi bala sida iya malu kediri empu enda berapa bepenemu baka kaban sida iya bukai. Engka sida iya takut udah bala nembiak sida iya udah bisi penemu, sida iya lalu kena tinggal kini?

Entah lah.

Ngarap ka bala pengajar kitai ulih nulong bala nembiak kitai muai runding jai bakanya enggau ngelara sida iya enti bisi ninga jako bakanya.

Grace, if you are still sick get well soon and Merry Christmas! :)