Shaping the Bamboo from the Shoot: Elementary Level Character Education in Malaysia

Overview & Synopsis

This article emphasizes the importance of introducing/providing character education during the early years of child development in order to raise morally responsive citizens. Noting the rampant acts of violence and malicious crime at a time marked with deep global turmoil in many societies, the authors argue for an exhaustive study of the recently revised elementary-level character education syllabus in Malaysia. The article provides a historical overview of character education (also referred to as "moral" education) in Malaysia and critically examines whether the adopted Malaysian syllabus identifies and engages in providing character education in meaningful ways. It assesses the balance between developing specific virtuous traits and habits, on one hand, and building moral judgment and reasoning about justice and fairness, on the other. The article provides insights about the Malaysian approach to (moral) character education as valued by its society.