JOHOR BARU: The state education department will closely monitor children in Johor to ensure they receive formal primary education, says Aznan Tamin.
The Johor Education and Information Committee chairman said this was to prevent children from being exposed to inappropriate content and to ensure no children were left behind.
"The state education department is also looking into ways to encourage homeschooled children to return to school, including by offering counselling.
"There may be many other children who are not receiving formal education in the state, and we need to make sure they are not left out," he said.
He said this to reporters after attending the Teacher's Day celebration and appreciation ceremony for educators at SK Taman Pulai Emas on Thursday (May 23).
He was responding to comments from education groups calling for the tracking of Malaysian children to ensure they attend formal primary schools.
The call came following the attack on the Ulu Tiram police station, allegedly by a man who did not receive any formal education.
The 21-year-old assailant and his three siblings reportedly had no formal schooling and were educated by their father, who was purportedly linked with the Jemaah Islamiah group.
Aznan also urged parents who wished to continue homeschooling their children to register with the district education department offices (PPD).
"Parents are supposed to register with the respective PPD if they want to homeschool their children, and we urge them to do so.
"This will also allow us to identify the children and ensure they are not left behind," he said.
