Last update: 30/08/2017
By Sarimah OthmanKUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) -- Ask pre-schoolers about "Merdeka" and watch in amusement as they attempt to answer.
You will find some of them crying out "Merdeka" repeatedly. Some would recite the Rukunegara while others would talk about the Jalur Gemilang.
There were also those who would launch into 'Tanggal 31 Ogos' or 'Saya Anak Malaysia', patriotic songs that have been famous since the 1980s.
How do we teach them what Merdeka actually means? Some may think they are a little too young to discuss such a heavy topic but it is better to start them young.
Political sociologist Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said that children needed to be taught the basic symbols of nationhood such as the Negaraku and Jalur Gemilang songs, the status of the Prime Minister, the monarchy and religious institutions.
The lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)'s School of Social Sciences said that it was important for children to understand national values, the constitution and the Rukunegara as it would help shape their character. This is so that they will grow up respecting and acknowledge the various symbols of their country's sovereignty.
SOWING THE SEEDS OF PATRIOTISM
He said there were countries that taught preschool children nationhood in the bid to inculcate patriotism from an early age.
"It is important to teach them the history of our independence. However, the methods need to be age-appropriate so as to attract and retain their attention, such as by using photos.
"We can look at Japan as an example. The photographs of their freedom fighters are placed in schools so that the students would bow to them in respect as they pass by the images," said Sivamurugam, who was recently selected as the National Day Patriotism Icon for the second year in a row.
He said there were many ways to instil the love for the nation among children. Among them would be to invite characters or personalities beloved by children to act out the scenes related to the messages that needed to be conveyed.
To ensure age-level understanding, the storylines would need to be presented in a creative way that was suited to their interest.
He believed that the inculcation of such values needed to be an ongoing effort and not something that was carried out only to commemorate a date or event.
Although teachers should act as role models, society must acknowledge that it takes a village to raise a child. Shaping the future generation is a collective responsibility.
CHARACTER BUILDING ACTIVITIES
A survey at several preschools around the Klang Valley revealed that not all preschools incorporated the National Day celebration into their annual activities programmes. Was it because they assumed the children are too young to benefit from it?
Realising their responsibility towards human capital development among post-Merdeka generations, the principal of Q-dees Kindergarten (Q-hn dees) in Sungai Buloh Golf Resort, Selangor, Nor Hemylia Mohd Nor, 45, said the preschool would clebrate National Day every year by organising a number of activities as prepared by the franchise's headquarters.
The activities would usually begin in the second or third week of August.
"It isn't hard to train children. They are able to memorise the National Day theme song only within a few days. Singing is a medium that is appealing to children and is one of the ways we can inculcate their love for the nation," she said, adding that the teachers would then explain to the children the meaning of lyrics.
Nor Hemylia said as preschoolers were aged between four and six years old, the stories should be presented in a manner and language that was easy for them to understand.
We focus on continuous development of human capital. This is among what we try to inculate in our character building programmes.
"In addition to that, it is important to instil the love for the nation from young so that the principles of Rukunegara can be understood and practiced," she explained.
TEACHING OTHERS
The experience is a little different for Zuriah Ismail, who taught at a kindergarten where 80 percent of the children there were those of foreigners.
The 57-year-old has been teaching at Tadika Islam Tengku Ampuan Jemaah, a kindergarten under Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (MAIWP) for the past 10 years.
Despite that, she said, the children were still taught the values of nationhood as the children were born in Malaysia.
In fact, every Friday, the children would sing Negaraku and be taught the flags of the states of Malaysia and the prime ministers of Malaysia.
"It is a little difficult to ascertain how much they accept or understand what is taught, due to their different backgrounds. However, they understand that the National Day is a day for them to fly the flag, have fun and cry out 'Merdeka'.
"Some of the children even describe the merriment as similar to Hari Raya," said Zuriah, who has been teaching kindergarteners for 30 years.
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