A group of nearly 20 people staged a protest in front of the education ministry’s headquarters here, demanding that minister Fadhlina Sidek take steps to ensure the safety of students within 30 days or resign from her post.
The group, led by Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam Se-Malaysia (Gamis) and Himpunan Advokasi Rakyat Malaysia (Haram), had gathered from 10.30am and submitted a memorandum for Fadhlina to a ministry official.
Gamis president Azamuddin Sahar claimed that Fadhlina had not taken any immediate, effective measures to tackle the rising number of bullying cases in schools.
In their memorandum, the two groups called for a national anti-bullying roadmap with set targets, timeframes and key performance indicators on curbing bullying in schools.
They also urged the minister to have a panel of independent observers to look into bullying reports filed by students, with findings to be transparently publicised.
The groups also wanted psychosocial support systems to be set up in schools by increasing the number of counsellors and for additional safety measures like CCTVs to be installed in all schools.
They also urged Fadhlina to make it mandatory for teachers and dormitory wardens to be trained about “trauma-informed education”, and also for parents to undergo seminars on how their own behaviours can shape their children into becoming bullies.
In response, Fadhlina said she would go through the proposals floated by the groups.
She also said her ministry was in the midst of carrying out several important efforts to strengthen security in educational institutions, including installing CCTVs, holding safety audits and forming a safety reforms committee.
“I welcome the views and suggestions of all parties to improve the aspect of safety in all education ministry institutions. Combating bullying and ensuring a safety ecosystem in all of these institutions are our shared responsibility,” she said in a Facebook post.
There has been a spate of bullying cases in schools, with one of the most prominent involving the death of Form 1 student Zara Qairina Mahathir in Sabah.
Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had told the Dewan Rakyat earlier this week that the probe into Zara’s death had revealed elements of bullying, neglect and sexual harassment.
Last week, the education ministry said it would review its SOPs on school safety and handling of disciplinary issues, including bullying. The Aduan Buli online portal would also be revamped to allow anonymous reports to be filed.
