Years later, I discovered a different reality: one where children are kept from the classroom by a lack of legal documents, impassable roads, and a society that overlooks them.
Indra Mozainie, Senior Project Officer, Calls Over Ridges Malaysia
Date Published
Estimated reading time: 5Mins
I still remember the first time I stood in front of a classroom as a government school teacher. The students were in crisp uniforms, their names neatly written in the register, and their parents could proudly present their birth certificates without a second thought. At that time, I thought this was what education in Sabah looked like for everyone.
I was wrong.
Years later, as a Senior Project Officer for Calls Over Ridges Malaysia, serving the marginalized children, my perspective shifted entirely. I began working in communities where many children had never even set foot in a classroom by the time they were eight, nine, or older. Some of them were born just a few kilometers away from the schools I once taught in, yet their paths to education were far more complicated.
Children’s education isn’t just a right—it’s a journey blocked by barriers both legal and geographical
In Sabah, the problem of late school enrollment affects more than one group. Stateless children are often born in Malaysia to parents from the Philippines and Indonesia. They face legal exclusion because they do not have the documents required for government school admission (Human Rights Commission of Malaysia [SUHAKAM], 2015). Even if they have lived here all their lives, they may not receive a birth certificate or MyKad, making public education out of reach.
This issue is not limited to statelessness. In remote parts of Sabah, even documented children experience delays in starting school. Villages can be separated by rivers, forests, and long gravel roads. Some communities are hours away from the nearest school with no consistent transport options (Pang, 2021). While urban children begin school at the age of seven, rural children sometimes wait until a family member can afford transport or until they get a place in a boarding facility.
Beyond poverty, a child’s education faces unseen walls.
- Legal and documentation barriers.
Stateless and undocumented children face the most visible barrier: a lack of official identification. Without a birth certificate, government schools will not accept them (Asean Digest, 2025). For families who are already poor, the process of applying for documentation is costly, complicated, and often unsuccessful.
- Geographic and infrastructure challenges.
Sabah has rugged terrain. In many districts, families live more than nine kilometers from the nearest secondary school, with roads that can become impassable during the rainy season (Pang, 2021). Many schools do not have libraries, science labs, or functioning toilets. The absence of these facilities reduces the quality of education available (Amdan et al., 2024).
- Socioeconomic and cultural constraints.
Poverty often forces children to help their parents with farming or fishing before they can attend school (UNICEF Malaysia, 2019). Language can also be a challenge. In some indigenous communities, Bahasa Melayu or English is not the first language, which slows down learning readiness.
For a child, starting late means a lifetime of catching up.
The effects of late school entry are serious and long-lasting. Missing the first few years of education means that children start behind in liter acy and numeracy. This gap can be difficult to close, which limits their ability to progress academically and reduces their future job opportunities (UNICEF Malaysia, 2019).
Socially, children who start school late often feel isolated. Their classmates are younger, and they may feel embarrassed about being behind. Over time, some lose interest in education entirely, which can lead to dropping out. Without qualifications, these children have to rely on low-paying informal work, making it harder to break out of poverty (Daily Express, 2024).
In more severe cases, exclusion from school increases the risk of children being exposed to street life, exploitation, or unsafe work environments. This not only affects the individual but also weakens the community as a whole.
The bell must ring for every child
Alternative Learning Centers (ALCs) have become a lifeline for children who are excluded from public schools. These community-based centers are run by NGOs, religious groups, or volunteers. They provide basic reading, writing, mathematics, and life skills to children who have no other options (Malay Mail, 2025).
I have visited centers where children walk long distances just to attend. They sit on wooden benches with second-hand textbooks, eager to learn. However, these centers are fragile. They have no formal recognition, rely heavily on donations, and sometimes close due to a lack of funds or teachers.
NGOs in Sabah are working tirelessly to fill the education gap, especially through Alternative Learning Centers. Yet these efforts cannot stand alone without supportive policies that simplify documentation and improve rural infrastructure. Sponsors and funders play a vital role in sustaining these initiatives, ensuring that ALCs remain open and well-resourced. Every contribution helps keep children in classrooms where they belong.
When the bell rings, it should signal the start of learning for every child in Sabah, regardless of their status or location.
About the author
Indra Mozainie
Indra is CORM’s Senior Project Officer and is
based East of Kota Kinabalu.
