Unicef welcomes amendment to education act to register tahfiz schools

KUALA LUMPUR: United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has welcomed the recommendation of the special task force led by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to amend the Education Act 1996 to allow the registration of private Islamic education institutions including private tahfiz schools.
Unicef Representative in Malaysia Marianne Clark-Hattingh said the compulsory registration of private religious schools such as tahfiz schools was necessary to coordinate its administration and allows for financial assistance by the Federal government.
"The issue of safety and security in learning centres is our primary concern," she said in a statement here today.
Clark-Hattingh also urged those disclosing the identity of the alleged child suspects through social media and electronic messaging to stop their action, while the justice process is taking its course.
"No matter how heinous the alleged crime, let us not forget that these are children too.
"Children accused of offences must have their privacy fully respected at all stages of judicial proceedings, in accordance with the Malaysian law, namely the Child Act and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Malaysia has ratified," she said.
Clark-Hattingh said every decision made with regard to the alleged perpetrators must be in the child's best interest.
"A fair and effective criminal justice system for children should promote the well-being of the child, whether victim or perpetrator. It should treat each child fairly and in a manner which is appropriate to their development. As they are children, the young suspects should be accorded psychosocial care as their case makes its way through the justice system," she said.
Yesterday, the Deputy Prime Minister said the current act does not define schools that teach solely religious subjects as private schools, and as such, many tahfiz schools are not registered with the authorities.
The suggestion to amend the act will be one of the several recommendations to Cabinet to resolve safety issues in such schools.
The task force was set up to probe the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz pre-dawn fire on Sept 14, which claimed the lives of 21 students and two teachers at the school on Jalan Datuk Keramat in Kuala Lumpur. — Bernama