2007 07: Ministry to investigate slapping allegation

The Star Online. News. Nation. Friday July 20, 2007

RANAU: The Education Ministry will investigate an incident where a headmistress allegedly slapped 22 pupils of a primary school for failing to turn in their homework in Tuaran here on Wednesday.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said his ministry will not compromise on issues of teachers involved in any wrongful methods to discipline students.

“This is a serious matter as it involves the discipline of teachers,” he said when commenting on news reports that a headmistress slapped the Year 4 pupils - 13 girls and 9 boys- for allegedly not turning in their civics homework on Wednesday.

The students, through the Parent Teacher Association of the school, lodged a police report with the Tuaran police on Friday.

“On matters of discipline involving teachers, we have set up a committee headed by my deputy minister Datuk Noh Omar who will look into such matters of discipline,” Hishammuddin told reporters after opening the Ranau Umno division meeting.

He said if necessary Noh Omar will come down to Sabah to investigate the allegations made by the pupils through the PTA.

“However, my advice is, it is better to get the views of both sides before any decision is made,” he added.

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Teachers must conform to guidelines on punishment

The Star Online. Opinion. Friday July 20, 2007

I READ the articles and letters commenting on the incident of the teacher who punched a girl because she uttered a vulgar word in class and found some of the comments interesting but others out of focus. There are two separate issues here.

The first is whether the punishment that was carried out by the teacher was excessive. On this, I must say that any form of physical punishment inflicted on a female student is wrong. The rules are very clear when it comes to punishing female students. They cannot even be caned.

Under no circumstances can a teacher be condoned when he or she breaks this fundamental rule and the Deputy Minister of Education is correct in announcing his suspension pending the police investigation. To excuse him by claiming he was provoked is inappropriate.

The second issue is the profanity used by the girl which resulted in the uncalled-for violence on the part of the teacher.

Such utterances are common among students in general. Any teacher who has been teaching for a short time would have heard such vulgar words often enough to be able to react normally to them.

I wish we have the means to suppress the use of profanity but when a child is exposed to such words by their parents and adults in general, how much can we do in schools?

We are fortunate that in Malaysia, our censorship is so stringent that it cuts off all spoken profanity, yet the effect is not as desired as our people still use them! We have to punish her, but in the appropriate way!

Therefore, I hope that we do not excuse wrong kinds of punishment imposed by teachers just because a student did something wrong. Appropriate and punitive punishment must be meted out by the Education Ministry to let teachers know that they must conform to the guidelines on punishment, if not our children will become punching bags for teachers.

A board must be set up to examine teachers involved in violence so that they can be given proper treatment or sacked if they are unable to manage their anger

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School head suspended for allegedly slapping 22 pupils

The Star Online. News. Nation. Monday July 23, 2007

KOTA KINABALU: A primary school principal here was suspended with full pay for two months following complaints that she slapped 22 Year Four pupils for failing to turn in their homework.
Deputy Education Minister Datuk Noh Omar said the suspension of the SK Gayang headmistress in Tuaran was to facilitate a probe into the July 18 incident.

“The Education Department will investigate before deciding whether any further action would be taken,” he said after opening a national convention of school principals on Sunday.

The pupils – 13 girls and nine boys – claimed that the principal slapped them for failing to submit their homework for the Civics subject.

The pupils, through the school’s parent teacher association (PTA), lodged a police report last Friday.

Mohd Noh said the investigation by the Tuaran Education Department would include reviewing the headmistress’ service record to ascertain if she was involved in other cases.

He said the pupils would have to attend motivational talks while their parents would be asked to go for parenting talks.

On the incident where 200 girl boarders of SMK Bawang Assan in Sibu, Sarawak were made to squat in a pond, Noh said he had yet to receive a report on the matter.

In Kota Baru, state PAS secretary Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan defended the action of the school's warden, Wee Yim Pien.

He said Wee made the right decision as it was a deterrent punishment to ensure the students did not litter anymore.

He said the public should not feel offended as the punishment was supposed to fit the crime or offence.

Earlier, Noh reminded principals that any disciplinary action against students must be in accordance with existing regulations.

“Our rules do not allow students to be abused in any way. Teachers are not allowed to make their students sit in ponds. This is not the right way,” he said.