3 days ago
Spot checks to curb bullying
Disturbing trend: Students bullying a student while another one records the incident, as posed by models in this file photo.
PETALING JAYA: All state education directors and district education officers have been ordered to conduct spot checks on schools to curb bullying in school.
The officials will also have to visit boarding schools at night to monitor the situation there, and get to know and understand how boarding school students live, Education director-general Dr Mohd Azam Ahmad said.
'We go to schools, look at the situation there, we want to see the nature of the school, how things happen. We might visit at night to see dormitories,' he said after the Madani Teachers Appreciation Event officiated by Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek in Kuala Terengganu.
School principals and headmasters have also been told to lead chants of 'Kami Benci Buli' (We Hate Bullying) before and after each school session to instil a sense of abhorrence for bullying.
Azam's statement came hours after the ministry announced that all educational institutions will undergo a safety audit to ensure they comply with standard operating procedures, especially in measures on disciplinary issues, including bullying.
Fully residential schools (SBP) and daily boarding schools (asrama harian) will also be involved in the audit, which will be carried out immediately, the ministry said.
Azam told reporters the ministry would improve security features in schools, especially boarding schools, by adding more CCTV cameras and dormitory wardens to curb bullying incidents.
In an earlier statement, the ministry said it was taking important steps to ensure that safety issues in all educational institutions under its purview are preserved.
'The audit report will be presented to the ministry within three months,' the statement read.
'The existing complaints system, including the Bullying Complaints Portal, will be reformed.
'It will be simplified and include an option for anonymity to protect the identity of complainants and witnesses.'
An educational institution safety reform committee will also be established.
'Members of this committee will include academics, NGOs, experts from various fields, the police, and representatives from the Parents, Community and Private Sector Involvement (PIBKS).'
The ministry also said there would be no compromise on bullying offences. Firm action, including suspension and expulsion from school, will be taken.
'The 'Bangkit Bermaruah' intervention programme, focusing on community service and character development, will be introduced specifically for students who are suspended from school.
'Administrators, teachers, as well as officers at district education offices and state education departments who fail to manage bullying complaints in accordance with existing guidelines will also face disciplinary action.'
Psychosocial support, the ministry said, would continue to be strengthened to ensure the well-being of students, teachers and the school community.
'Guidance and counselling teachers play an important role in prevention and intervention efforts to address bullying. Creating a safe school ecosystem is our shared responsibility.'
