Parents worried about gangsterism in school

NIBONG TEBAL: Yet another case of bullying in schools has surfaced with a parent here claiming he had seen a group of boys beating up their classmates.

Factory worker S. Mohan, 42, said he was at the school in Simpang Ampat on Thursday to meet the principal over his two sons, aged 15 and 16, who had been beaten up when he heard a commotion on the ground floor.

“The principal and I then went down and saw a group of 20 students beating up a smaller group of their classmates.

“I tried to break up the fight and one of the students from the bigger group ‘shooed’ me away,” he said yesterday.

Mohan said that was when he realised that the gangsterism problem in the school was out of control.

The worried father lodged a report at the Tasek Mutiara police station on the same day.

Mohan, who claimed the school had not taken any action on the issue of gangsterism so far also represented other parents whose children were victims of the afformentioned fight.

South Seberang Prai district police chief Supt Abdul Shafee Abdul Samad said the case was being investigated as a rioting incident under Section 147 of the Penal Code.

“The were no injuries and the school had taken the necessary disciplinary action.

“We have also recorded the statements of the students involved who told us that no weapons were used,” he said.

He said police were closely monitoring the case.

The parents of some of the students are expected to turn up outside the school today at noon to highlight the issue.