For 26 years, R Ranjithamalar, affectionately known as Cikgu Ranjitha, has taught students of various ethnic backgrounds, including Malay, Chinese, and Indian, using a unifying tool: the national language.
“Even though I am Indian, I have no problem using Malay in my teaching. I want all my students to communicate in the same language in class.
“I once taught at a preschool with 100% Indian students, but I did not use or translate into Tamil. I wanted them to learn. As a result, many of my former students are still fluent in Malay today,” she said, reflecting on her work at Tabika Perpaduan Sri Sungai Pelek here.
In her classroom, activities such as celebrating cultural festivals, staging mini-dramas, and playing group games are used to teach respect, cooperation, and intercultural understanding.
She ensures that every child has an equal opportunity to speak, ask questions, and participate in daily activities.
For Ranjitha, unity is not just a slogan on the classroom wall or a line in a textbook; it is a value to be practised and exemplified daily through classroom activities and student interactions.
This approach allows children of all ethnicities to learn together while developing social skills that form the foundation for their future lives.
Early integration
Fairojibanu Zainal Abidin, director of the social cohesion and national integration division at the department of national unity and integration, described teachers like Ranjitha as pillars of the government’s efforts to make perpaduan preschools and kindergartens platforms for early integration.
She said that such preschools, which cater to children aged two to four, follow the National Permata Curriculum while introducing ethnic and cultural elements through easygoing activities such as colouring.
Meanwhile, Tabika Perpaduan kindergartens guide children aged four to six, emphasising nationhood, unity, and moral values, while helping them develop their sense of self.
“Tadika Perpaduan uses the standard national preschool curriculum developed by the education ministry, with additional specialised modules.
“These modules include education on the Rukun Negara, basic multilingual communication (English, Tamil, Mandarin, Kadazan, and Iban), as well as the ‘Jom Urus Diri’ programme,” she said.
There are currently around 41 Taska Perpaduan preschools and 1,781 Tabika Perpaduan kindergartens nationwide.
Fairojibanu said that learning in a harmonious unity-focused ecosystem was expected to shape active and competitive citizens.
This year, the national unity ministry allocated RM33.73 million through the “Cilik Perpaduan” programme to support the operations of unity preschools and kindergartens.
The allocation covers student starter kits, supplementary food assistance, the Tabika Perpaduan per-capita grant of RM100 per student, and group personal accident insurance.
This funding ensures that education at Tabika and Tadika Perpaduan – including the cost of uniforms – is free. Parent contributions are voluntary, ranging from RM15 to RM30 per month.
Since the majority of students come from low-income families, these facilities ease the burden on parents while providing quality early education for their children, Fairojibanu added.