Datuk Dr Jayum Jawan
KUCHING (March 18): Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s (Unimas) decision to introduce an Iban degree programme in the next academic year is a significant stride towards empowering the teaching of the language, said Datuk Dr Jayum Jawan.
The Universiti Putra Malaysia Political Science professor and Academy of Sciences Malaysia fellow said the initiative should potentially address the shortage of qualified Iban language teachers while elevating the standard of language instruction in Sarawak.
“The university deserves to be supported by many quarters, especially Iban language experts, although in the initial period, much manpower and expertise would be needed to set up and sustain the programme,” he said in a statement today.
He said the programme is vital because there are ongoing debates and concerns regarding the shortage of Iban language teachers in Sarawak.
Jayum noted instances where non-specialised instructors were tasked with teaching the language due to the scarcity of trained educators.
Although Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) currently offers a minor in Iban studies, he said it falls short of providing comprehensive training for Iban language teachers.
He said UPSI primarily focuses on education degrees, with Iban language being just one of many minor options, hence expectations of the university producing a substantial number of Iban language teachers are misguided.
“It means that the degree is in a larger field, but the Iban language is one of many minor options to choose from. Presumably, those planning to teach the Iban language would opt for this while the Iban language is offered as a degree by itself for master’s degree by research,” he explained.
“There is no strategic consideration by the UPSI or the relevant faculty of department to plan to recruit Iban language trainees, as the university is not training Iban language undergraduates. It is training undergraduates for various education degrees, and Iban is not even a major, but a minor.”
On the suggestion of relocating UPSI’s Iban language programme to Unimas, Jayum said the move is unnecessary.
He said Unimas should instead independently offer the Iban language option, thereby addressing the critical shortage of Iban language teachers.
“If Unimas wishes to offer Iban language option, that is certainly a welcome move to address Iban language teachers that no institution is focused on producing.
“There is not a need to transfer any programme from one public university to another,” he added.