KUALA LUMPUR: The School Pupil Protection Policy introduced by the Education Ministry aims to provide clearer guidelines to strengthen the teaching profession, rather than victimise teachers or add to their workload.
Education Department director-general Datuk Mohd Azam Ahmad said the “Pledge” form under the policy was not intended to legally bind school personnel, particularly teachers.
Instead, he said it aimed to raise awareness and strengthen education personnel’s commitment to 11 key guidelines on pupil safety and protection in schools, Bernama reported.
“The policies we introduce are not intended to victimise teachers. When we talk about professionalism, there must be clear policies and protocols.
“I urge teachers to sign (the Pledge) as a demonstration of solidarity towards our children.
“By signing it, we acknowledge our commitment to taking care of our pupils,” he said during a Dialogue Session on the Pupil Protection Policy aired on the ministry’s EduWebTV YouTube channel.
The session was also attended by Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) children’s commissioner Dr Farah Nini Dusuki, the ministry’s School Management Division director Hanafi Abdul Samad and Educational Policy Planning and Research Division director Datin Rosliza Rosli.
Mohd Azam also assured that the ministry would not arbitrarily blame teachers if an incident occurred at school, as investigations and relevant regulations must be followed.
He said the policy was developed following several incidents involving pupil safety, taking into account views from various parties, including government agencies, Suhakam, the United Nations Children’s Fund, teachers’ associations and non-governmental organisations.
The views were used to strengthen the existing Safe School Guidelines, with the Pupil Protection Policy serving as a new element to address current challenges.
