ABSTRACT
One of the important agendas of the Ministry of Education (MOE) Malaysia as stated in the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013–2025 is to ensure that all children in Malaysia including Orang Asli students have access to education. The MOE has given a significant emphasis on the enrollment of these students; however, the participation rate of these students in schools is still low. MOE places a high priority on the issue of Orang Asli student dropout, as reported in the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013–2025 under Initiative 57: Transformation of Orang Asli and Indigenous Education. This initiative is being implemented to ensure equity, namely, equal access to education of Orang Asli and Indigenous students along with mainstream education can be realized with the seriousness and commitment of all parties. This chapter highlights some of the key aspects and features of Orang Asli students’ education in Malaysia such as the overview of their education, issues and factors related to their dropout and poor academic achievement, and some recommendations to improve the Orang Asli education quality.
