Police presence should support, not replace school responsibility
KUALA LUMPUR: Police have an important role in addressing safety concerns, criminal activity and serious violence in schools, but preventing bullying and managing student behaviour remain the responsibility of schools.
KUALA LUMPUR: Police play a vital role in ensuring school safety and addressing criminal activities, but schools remain primarily responsible for preventing bullying and managing student behavior. PAGE chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim emphasized the collective effort required from schools, supported by trained counsellors, teachers, wardens, parents, and the community, to safeguard students. She cautioned against relying solely on police presence as a solution to every disciplinary issue.
Azimah stressed the importance of schools remaining vigilant and intervening early to tackle potential problems. While police can support school safety on a day-to-day basis, the real test lies in whether schools can identify issues promptly, act swiftly, and prevent any child from slipping through the cracks. LeapEd Services project lead for Child Protection and Safeguarding Rajveen Kaur highlighted the police's role in educating students about personal safety, digital risks, and violence.
However, she stressed the need to differentiate between children struggling with issues, those engaging in harmful behavior, and those committing criminal offenses.
Parent Datuk Saniboey Mohd Ismail called for increased involvement of counsellors and psychologists to identify problems early. He pointed out that one counsellor for hundreds of students is insufficient to catch issues early and called for a safe reporting system for bullying, allowing students to express concerns without fear of repercussions. Ismail stressed that discipline starts at home, and schools and parents must collaborate as a team, rather than pointing fingers at each other.
Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek stressed the importance of police presence in schools to raise awareness and prevent disciplinary issues before they escalate. She mentioned early intervention as one of the topics discussed during her meeting with the Seberang Perai Selatan police. This recommendation followed Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Khalid Ismail's call for school administrators not to hide incidents to protect their institution's reputation following a tragic murder case of a 16-year-old girl in Yong Peng, Johor.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
