Orang asli community from seven villages shun SK Tohoi in Kelantan

GUA MUSANG: Orang asli community from seven villages at Pos Simpor and Pos Gob have shunned SK Tohoi about 50km from here by refusing to send their children there, resulting in a poor turnout during the new school session.  

The school's headmaster Khairul Azmi Mat Yusoff said only 99 students attended the first day on Sunday, adding that previously, there was an enrolment of 223 pupils.  

"About 117 students who stayed in the school's hostel from seven villages are not interested to go to this school despite the infrastructure upgrade.  

"We have upgraded all the safety features in the school to woo the children to come here but to no avail. We intend to meet their parents to find out why their children refused to come to school," he said.  

Khairul Azmi said he was disappointed that students from Kampung Penad, Kampung Sedal, Kampung Halak, Kampung Dangdut, Kampung Simpor, Kampung Rekom and Kampung Gawin shunned the school despite the upgrade.  

In August last year, seven pupils of SK Tohoi ran away from the school's hostel as they feared punishment from their teacher for swimming in a river without permission. They went missing in the jungle in Pos Tohoi. 

Four of them were later found dead and another was still missing. Only Norieen Yaakob, 10 and Mirsudiar Aluj, 11, were found barely alive after 47 days in the jungle. 

A parent from Kamoung Sedal, Pos Simpor, Limat Lias, 49, said parents refused to allow their children to attend at SK Tohoi after suffering trauma over the incident.

"These parents are afraid of losing their children and want the district education officer to discuss the matter," he said.