A study on the implementation challenges of the Jahai Jeli project to promote educational equity in the Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia

This paper reports on the implementation challenges of an innovative 3-year pilot educational program called the Jahai Jeli, run concurrently with the Trust School provider program in the small community of Jeli in the northern state of Kelantan, Malaysia. The Jahai Jeli pilot was specifically intended to provide a change model for the Malaysian Indigenous people who lived in Jahai, the Orang Asli (OA), to meet their unique cultural needs, enable their children to engage in successful learning, and provide them with a sense of belonging as a native Jahai. Future recommendations include the development of targeted leadership to build capacity across mainstream and OA communities; increased partnerships with community to engage all stakeholders to support a greater understanding of the challenges and issues facing OA education; and prioritizing the role of community elder and teacher-mentors in schools to support the implementation of a relevant, culturally responsive curriculum and transition pathways.