Saluran aduan ada tetapi adakah murid berani bersuara?

Schools can install a hundred cameras, yet still have a blind spot that is not captured by any CCTV: a student who fears to speak out about their safety. Discussion about school safety has gained attention after several serious incidents involving students. The government has also allocated an additional RM15 million for installing CCTV in 1,000 schools next year, alongside various other measures to strengthen safety.

CCTV certainly has an important function. It can help monitor specific areas, record events, and support investigations when something happens. However, cameras can only record what falls within their field of view. They cannot inform a teacher that a student has been afraid to enter the classroom for several days. They cannot explain that repeated teacher abuse has actually turned into a cry for help.

They cannot speak on behalf of a child who is unsure whether adults will believe them. That is why school safety requires not only monitoring, but also the ability to communicate. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently reminded schools not to hide bullying or harassment just to maintain the institution's image and performance. There were 5,681 bullying incidents recorded between January and August this year, and he suggested the actual number could be higher due to unreported cases.

Here, we need to pay attention not only to the number of reports, but also to what causes a student to choose to report or remain silent. Indeed, the mechanism for speaking out already exists. The Student Protection Officer provides a safe channel for student concerns, including confidential lockboxes and the KPM Self-reporting System.

The government is also implementing advocacy for student voices to ensure their views and concerns are heard. This is a good development. However, the existence of a communication channel does not necessarily mean someone feels safe to use it. A student may know where the lockbox is, but be afraid their identity will be known. They may know whom to speak to, but worry they will be seen as troublemakers.

Some may fear the situation will get worse after reporting, while others may not be sure if what happened is serious enough to be shared with adults. In communication, the message only holds value if someone believes there is someone on the other end who will listen and respond. The same principle applies to school safety. We can provide phone numbers, forms, lockboxes, and digital channels.

But if students do not trust the process after making a report, the channel may physically exist but not function fully as a safe space. That is why the number of reports needs to be read with caution. A school receiving few reports is not necessarily a school without problems. In some cases, a low number may raise another concern: are students really safe to speak?

This does not mean every school hiding problems by having few reports. But we cannot treat the lack of reports as automatic proof that everything is fine. Here, physical safety must progress alongside communication safety. When a student says, "I am afraid," the adults receiving the message need to know how to act. When a report is made, the student needs to understand what will happen next.

When something requires the intervention of other parties, the process needs to be explained in a way that does not make the student feel they lose control after speaking out. Feedback is also important. One thing that can weaken trust in any reporting channel is when someone reports but is unsure whether their report was received, is being investigated, or requires further action.

For a student, silence after reporting can carry very different meanings than the institution intended. That is why efforts to strengthen school safety through CCTV, counselors, and student protection mechanisms should be seen as part of a safety ecosystem. Cameras can help see. Teachers and counselors can help listen. Reporting channels can help students speak out.

But all this becomes a functioning safety system only when the information provided by students reaches the right people and produces a credible response. We also need to be careful not to turn the encouragement of students speaking out into a slogan like "don't be afraid to report." Courage cannot be placed entirely in the hands of children.

Schools and adults need to build an environment that makes speaking out possible. This includes ensuring students know where reporting channels are, using language they understand, providing options for assistance, and not blaming them for bringing a problem to the school's attention. Keenness to encourage speaking out should not become a slogan like "don't be afraid to report."

Courage should not be placed entirely in the hands of children. Schools and adults need to create an environment that makes speaking out possible. This includes ensuring students know where to seek help, using language they understand, providing options for assistance, and not blaming them for bringing a problem to the school's attention.

Perhaps it is time to consider how school safety measures also consider this aspect. Not just how many cameras have been installed or how many incidents have been recorded, but whether students know whom they can turn to for help, feel confident that they will be heard, and understand what will happen after they report something.

This is not a substitute for CCTV or physical safety measures. It complements them. Because safety is not just about being able to record an incident. Safety also exists when someone has the confidence to raise the alarm before something gets worse. In our efforts to make schools safer, we must also ensure students have confidence to alert others before things get worse.