SARATOK: School and parents need to be stricter in dealing with the issue of bullying at school and other disciplinary cases.
Kalaka assemblyman Mohamad Duri said each party has a role to play, not just leave the matter to one.
On the part of the parents, they should tell children to steer clear of the symptoms of bullying or simply put, not to bully their friends at school, he said.
“On the other hand, if our child is a victim of bullying, don’t hesitate to report it to the school or the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) or the School Liaison Officer (SLO)… this is the right channel,” he said after a PTA meeting of SMK Agama Saratok.
“At the same time, the school should be assertive. Teachers, for example, must always monitor, be more friendly with students.
“What is worrying is that there may be students who are victims of bullying and are afraid to act because they are threatened.
“I really hope that the schools in Kalaka, especially in the hostels, pay serious attention to the issue of bullying … we want to create a harmonious learning environment for our children,” he said.
Bullying at school should be treated as a serious offence and not a norm, he reminded.
“In August last year, for example, the government confirmed that there had been a spike in bullying incidents among school students,” he said.
“It is considered a modern crime trend that is quite worrying, especially in dormitories.
“Based on statistics from January to the end of July 2022, there were a total of 122 cases of bullying compared to only 50 cases recorded throughout the previous year.
“It means there is an increase. Therefore, it must not happen in our area, we should at least try prevent it.
“This is because emotional and mental abuse due to bullying can cause children to lose focus on learning, some even refuse to go back to the dormitory (go to school),” he said.
Earlier, Mohamad who was represented by councillor Majid Amit suggested that the PTA be used as the basis for establishing close relations and cooperation between parents and the school.
At the event, there was also a presentation of prizes for outstanding students in the SPM and STPM 2021 and 2022 sessions.
