Sometime in 2005 I was in Pos Gedong, a large Semai settlement about an hour and a half via rough road from Bidor. There was a primary school there, complete with staff quarters. I woke up at about 8.00 am only to see the schoolchildren in the house I was staying still at the fireplace and in no hurry to go to school, which was a 10-minute walk away. When asked why they were not in school yet, their reply stumped me. “No point going early,” one replied, “as the teachers only arrive at about 8.30 or 9.00am from Bidor.” I was told all the teachers prefer to commute daily from Bidor despite there being very decent staff quarters available for them. Given the distance they have to travel each day, they regularly arrive late for school. On rainy days, they sometimes do not turn up. When asked why no one complained to the authorities concerned, the parent there just shrugged her shoulders. She feared repercussions on her children if she did so. Besides, she told me, she was not their employer. All such imperfections in the delivery of the education good to the Orang Asli can be removed or reduced if it was mandatory for Orang Asli parents to be directly involved in the whole education process, with the ability to influence decisions as well. If this were to happen, one can think of some immediate benefits. For one, they would have access to more information about the various scholarship programmes of the government or of other charitable bodies that award special grants for educational assistance. They will also be able to see to it that the JHEOA ensures that the school uniforms, text books and other supplies arrive on time, and in the right quantity and sizes. They will also be able to keep a check on the way the hostels are run and managed, or check bullying in the schools, or simply to correct prejudices if and when they crop up. 62 ORANG ASLI – RIGHTS, PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS