Education Ministry to prepare portal for bullying complaints

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- The Education Ministry (MOE) will prepare a bully complaints portal by next week to improve efforts of curbing bullying cases in schools, Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin said.

Parents and teachers can lodge reports of bullying in schools through the phone, email or the portal itself, he said, adding that these methods could deal with emergencies and the informer’s confidentiality.

He said this when asked to comment on the bullying incident in the Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) in Kuantan after attending the Education Transformation Showcase here today.

Without commenting directly on the issue, Radzi said his ministry is committed to minimising bullying incidents in schools through several holistic measures, including establishing special committees to study existing guidelines and procedures relating to bullying in school for improvement purposes.

He also said that they would launch the Sekolahku Sejahtera, Sepakat dan Selamat programme with the partnership of the police and the Home Ministry to create a safe environment in schools.

The concept currently practised also emphasises elements of students’ character so they can make rational decisions and the inculcation of empathy to avoid being involved in bullying, he said.

“We can monitor as much as we want, but if their souls and thinking are clouded, their actions will lead to bullying cases,” he added.

During a get-together with students and parents in the Education Transformation Showcase earlier, Radzi shared that his ministry had implemented various transformations in education to create a generation of students capable of competing globally.

He said every ministry decision and policy, including the abolishment of the Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR) and the Form Three Assessment (PT3), was not done hastily, adding that in general, Malaysians are too focused on examinations and did not prioritise the student’s overall development. 

The three-day Education Transformation Showcase, which began yesterday at Alamanda shopping mall here, highlights the innovations and achievements of students and teachers, digital education developments and system applications that simplify education management.

-- BERNAMA