Parents should be involved in school disciplinary process

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) hopes all relevant parties could discuss the type of punishment to be meted out against students so that they are not injured or suffer from prolonged trauma.
Its senior vice- chairman, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye also suggested that parents be involved in the disciplinary process and always be informed of the offences committed by their children.
"This is to avoid claims that parents are not aware of the disciplinary problems involving their children, and thus, act with anger when their children are punished at school," he said in a statement here.
He was commenting on the Education Ministry's decision to set up several committees to study the 23 points suggested by the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) for a proposed code of ethics for parents and guardians.
Under the code, parents or guardians are also not allowed to send any threatening message to teachers or school authorities via email, text message, voice note, phone calls or through their social media account.
It has also proposed that parents or guardians be disallowed from bringing helmets or any object to school, which might threaten security.
Lee said the use of social media like WhatsApp, Facebook and Telegram should be expanded so that the school could constantly communicate with parents on developments in school and student-related issues.
He added that law enforcers should also help schools to curb disciplinary problems through a more effective law enforcement and awareness campaign to prevent the spread of drug abuse, gangsterism and violence.
"The code of ethics is important to ensure that parents, guardians and family members know how to deal with the school, as well as protect teachers from acts of violence.
"It needs to be implemented as soon as possible as a guide for the parent or guardian when dealing with the teacher. At the same time, it will also help harmonise relations at school," noted Lee. — Bernama