Revising SOPs on bullies futile without follow-through, govt told

Free Malaysia Today

3 days ago

A parents group has stressed the need for mandatory timeframes for action to be taken when a bullying report is lodged. (File pic)
PETALING JAYA : The education ministry must ensure that school authorities will follow through on reports of bullying, says a parents group as the ministry reviews its SOPs for dealing with school bullies.
The Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) said the revamped SOPs must go beyond the basic mechanism of 'report, investigate, punish' to include early intervention, protection and follow-through.
PAGE chairman Noor Azimah Rahim said the new SOPs must clearly define what bullying entails, so that no incident can be dismissed as 'just a joke'.
She told FMT that there must also be immediate safety measures outlined for the victim, as well as mandatory timeframes for action which include set points for parental involvement.
Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim.
Noor Azimah said psychological support should also be provided for both the victims and bullies, while cases must be properly documented and escalated to the relevant authorities.
'If a complaint is filed, the school leadership – whether the principal or disciplinary teacher – should be required to log it into the education ministry's system within 24 hours.
'If no action or follow-up is documented within seven days, it should be automatically escalated to the district education office or state education department,' she said.
Noor Azimah added that disciplinary action must be taken against educators who ignore or downplay complaints, starting with formal warnings, then suspension and even termination, in severe cases.
'If a student suffers serious harm or dies and the evidence shows that prior complaints were ignored by educators, criminal negligence charges should be considered.'
Education director-general Azam Ahmad had said the ministry's SOPs on school safety and the handling of disciplinary issues, including bullying, would be reviewed following the death of Form 1 student Zara Qairina Mahathir in July.
The ministry is also revamping its Aduan Buli portal for school bullying complaints, with the system to be simplified and complainants given the option of remaining anonymous.
Azam also said that teachers as well as education officers at the district or state levels who do not act on bullying complaints will face action, but did not elaborate.
Lee Lam Thye.
Alliance For A Safe Community chairman Lee Lam Thye welcomed the review of the ministry's SOPs, saying it was clear that they were no longer effective at this present time.
The former DAP MP said educators should undergo mandatory training on how to identify, handle and prevent cases of bullying, even starting at the pre-school level.
Lee also said schools with sufficient resources should install CCTVs all around as a deterrent and also to assist in probes into bullying.
'If all this fails, then there's a need for the government to introduce a specific law to deal with bullying in schools. But legislation should be the last resort. What needs to be done is to ensure the ministry adopts measures that are practical, realistic and workable.'
Noor Azimah agreed with Lee's suggestion of installing CCTVs in public and common areas in schools, suggesting that high-risk locations be prioritised given financial constraints.
She also said the Aduan Buli portal must have two-way confidential communication so that the authorities can probe complaints without revealing the victim's identity, while reports should be reviewed by a unit within the ministry rather than the school involved.
'Students should get a case ID so they can monitor progress to see if action is being taken. And there should be multiple access points — web, mobile app, SMS or WhatsApp — so students without internet at home can still report.'
Separately, the Children's Protection Society Kuala Lumpur said the government must first acknowledge that bullying often starts or is allowed to take root at home, highlighting the role parents and guardians play in shaping a child's character.
'We must teach our children empathy, humility, and respect for others from the earliest stages of life. We must ensure that they do not grow up with a sense of superiority, unchecked entitlement, or emotional detachment,' said its chairman Tengku Asra Jehan Tengku Azlan.
Tengku Asra Jehan Tengku Azlan.
Tengku Asra said school SOPs must have defined consequences for bullies. She also suggested that schools allow students to do 'confidential mental health check-ins' with trained counsellors handling this.
'Every report of bullying must be formally documented and investigated. No child's cry for help should be dismissed or downplayed. Schools should involve child protection agencies in serious cases to ensure neutrality and follow-through,' she added.