Latest news with #AzamAhmad
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
State, district officials to conduct anti-bullying spot checks, says education DG
Education director-general Azam Ahmad said school principals have been told to lead chants of 'Kami Benci Buli' ('We Hate Bullying') before and after each school session to instil abhorrence for bullying among students. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The education ministry has ordered all state education directors and district education officers to conduct spot checks on schools to curb bullying. Education director-general Azam Ahmad said the officials must also visit boarding schools, not only to monitor but also to understand how boarding school students live. 'We need to do so without being told. 'We might visit at night to see the dormitories,' Bernama reported him as saying today. Azam said the ministry had also told school principals to lead chants of 'Kami Benci Buli' ('We Hate Bullying') before and after each school session to instil an abhorrence for bullying among students. Earlier today, in a statement, Azam said the education ministry will implement several anti-bullying measures, including improving standard operating procedures (SOPs) on school safety and handling disciplinary issues. 'The existing SOPs and guidelines will be reviewed to ensure they are relevant to current and future needs. Safety audits will be carried out immediately at all educational institutions, including boarding schools. 'The audit will focus on compliance with safety SOPs. The results will be presented to the ministry's top management in three months,' he said. Azam said the ministry would also simplify its Aduan Buli portal, meant to channel complaints on bullying, to give complainants the option of remaining anonymous. This is to protect their identities as well as that of witnesses. This follows the widely reported death of Form 1 student Zara Qairina Mahathir, who was found unconscious at 4am on July 16 after allegedly falling from the third floor of her school's hostel in Papar, Sabah. She died at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital in Kota Kinabalu the following day. The Attorney-General's Chambers later ordered the police to exhume her body so that a post-mortem could be conducted to help in the investigation into her death, amid allegations of bullying.
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Education ministry to review SOPs, complaints system for bullying
The Aduan Buli portal will be simplified, with students filing complaints on bullying to have the option to remain anonymous to protect their identity. PETALING JAYA : The education ministry has announced that it will implement several measures to curb bullying and ensure the safety of students at educational institutions under its purview. Education director-general Azam Ahmad said this would involve improving SOPs on school safety and for handling disciplinary issues, including bullying. 'The existing SOPs and guidelines will be reviewed to ensure that they are relevant to current and future needs. Safety audits will be carried out immediately at all educational institutions, including boarding schools. 'The audit will focus on compliance with safety SOPs, and its results will be presented to the ministry's top management in three months,' he said in a statement. Azam said the ministry would also reform its Aduan Buli portal for complaints of bullying, with the system to be simplified and complainants given the option of remaining anonymous to protect their identity as well as that of witnesses. The ministry will also establish a safety reform committee to strengthen the safety aspects in schools, involving academics, experts in various fields, NGOs, the police and parents. 'There will be no compromise with bullying. Stern action must be taken including suspending and expelling bullies,' Azam said, adding that intervention programmes for suspended students had been introduced as well. Azam said teachers as well as education officers at the district or state levels who do not act on bullying complaints will face action. This follows the widely reported death of Form 1 student Zara Qairina Mahathir, who was found unconscious at 4am on July 16 after allegedly falling from the third floor of her school's hostel in Papar, Sabah. She died at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital in Kota Kinabalu the following day. The Attorney-General's Chambers later ordered the police to exhume her body so that a post-mortem could be conducted and the investigation into her death completed. The autopsy was completed last night after eight hours. Zara's death also sparked gatherings at several locations across Sabah last Friday, with hundreds calling for justice.
