Chong: Schools with no disciplinary problems need not worry

PETALING JAYA: Schools with no disciplinary problems need not fear they would be branded 'hotspot schools' even if they are located in or near crime hotspots.
Deputy Education Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon said his ministry will come up with an all-new hotspot schools list next year which will exclude schools with no serious disciplinary issues even if they are located in crime hotspots.
He said schools which had been identified as hotspots in this year's list also need not fret as they would be reassessed and removed from the new list if they showed marked improvement.
However, he stressed that the hotspot schools list is a ministry secret and should not be leaked.
The list made known to the public early this year had many reputable schools crying foul as they had no idea how they got classified as a hotspot because discipline was under control.
On Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed's remark not long ago that 420 schools nationwide were at risk of serious drug abuse problem, Chong said it did not mean there were cases of drug abuse in these school but that some students had used illegal drugs and their urine samples tested positive during spot checks.