TRAINING teachers to de-escalate conflicts can determine whether incidents are resolved calmly or escalate into serious confrontations, says National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Fouzi Singon.
He said teachers need practical, scenario-based training to recognise early warning signs, communicate effectively, manage their emotions, calm agitated students and know when to disengage.
“They should also be trained to distinguish between ordinary disciplinary problems and behaviour that may indicate a mental health crisis, trauma, self-harm risk or potential violence.
“However, teachers should not be expected to diagnose students as their role is to identify concerns early, keep everyone safe and activate the appropriate referral mechanism,” he told StarEdu.
His comments build on a concern raised by NUTP president Aminuddin Awang in July that teachers, who are often the first to notice emotional distress, aggression, prolonged absenteeism or sudden behavioural changes, lack consistent specialist training to assess whether such behaviour signals a mental health crisis or risk of violence.
The issue of schools’ preparedness to handle behavioural problems came into focus following the stabbing of a Form Three student at a secondary school in Banting, Selangor, allegedly by another 15-year-old student on July 6.
Fouzi added that teachers are trained primarily as educators, not as mental health professionals, crisis negotiators or security personnel.
“Teachers must not be placed in a situation where they feel they have to physically confront an aggressive student because there is no immediate specialist support,” he said.
Acknowledging the Education Ministry’s Safe School Management Guidelines, he said they are significant, with the existing framework already recognising the importance of coordinated action and school safety.
However, he said the key challenge is implementation, as guidelines could tell schools what should happen but teachers also need practical skills to respond in real time.
“Therefore, NUTP would like to see the Safe School framework supported by mandatory, periodic and practical training.
“A multi-layered support system is recommended, rather than expecting the classroom teacher to solve the problem alone,” he added.
