The Role of the Arabic Letters in the Curriculum Tadika of the year 1426 AH and its Relationship with the Malay Language – analytical and descriptive study.

Abstract

This study aims to identify the role of the Arabic letters in the Curriculum Tadika of the year 1426 AH. issued by The Twelfth Education Region and their relationship with the Malay language challenges faced by the Malay language which are written in Arabic script. The researcher studied Tadika curriculum and prescribed textbooks for it in Patani, Southern Thailand. It is a documentary study, where the researcher followed the descriptive analytical approach. The research has found that the Malay language written in Arabic script appeared in the writings of early scholars in Al-Fatoni since the year 1224 AH. The curriculum Tadika of the year 1426 AH. includes eight subjects, and all are written in Arabic script, except the subject of  Malay language, which is divided into two sections: one is written in Arabic script and the other is written in Latin script letters used Arabic for writing the Malay language, in addition to some letters that fit with the local Malay sounds namely cha(خ ), nga (غ), nya(ث ), and ga (ئ). The research also found that the prescribed textbooks of this curriculum give an ample opportunities to students to acquire the Malay language written in Arabic script. However, the Malay language written in Arabic script faces a number of challenges such as lack of a body or a special arrangement to preserve, nurture and to transmit it to future generations; and the inadequacy of teaching the Malay language written in Arabic script.