Dong Zong demands explanation for having a school listed in 'troubled list'

PETALING JAYA: Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association) wants the Education Ministry to explain why Sekolah Menengah Hin Hua was included in the list of 402 schools identified as hotspots for disciplinary and drugs problems, saying none of the 61 Chinese independent schools in the country has serious disciplinary issues.
Its president Datuk Vincent Lau Lee Ming said Sekolah Menengah Hin Hua, located in Klang, is a reputable Chinese independent school and certainly does not have disciplinary problems with its students serious enough to warrant monitoring by the ministry and police, the Chinese press reported today.
Speaking after attending a scholarship presentation ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, Lau also said there is no need for the authorities concerned to publicise the list.
Any disciplinary or drug problems among students should be resolved privately, he said, adding that naming the schools concerned will only affect their image and reputation.
"I don't know the yardstick used by the Education Ministry to gauge schools (regarding discipline), but announcing the list (of schools identified as hotspots for disciplinary and drugs problems) does not do any good to any party at all.
"The ministry should study these issues in depth and identify the root causes to avoid a repeat of the problems," he said.
Earlier, unhappy with its inclusion in the list of hotspots for disciplinary and drug problems, the school urged the ministry and police to visit the school to see for themselves the real situation.
Meanwhile, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon said Sekolah Menengah Hin Hua is on the list because it is located within an area known to be a crime hotspot.
It does not necessarily mean the school is facing serious disciplinary problems, he said.