KUALA LUMPUR: Teachers should lodge reports with the relevant authorities if they know their students are victims of child abuse at home, said Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh.
She said children spent most of their time in school and it is the role of the teachers to identify child abuse victims among students through their behaviour.
It is the responsibility of teachers to address child abuse cases involving their students because the children themselves will not lodge reports on their own for fear that their parents will be called up by the police.
“If teachers found their students behaving differently, or in a weird manner, they should approach and talk to the students concerned, and if it is found that they are abused, the teacher concerned should report the matter to Talian Nur at 15999,” she said.
She said this in her speech at the launch of a programme, ‘Thank You Teacher’ here today. It was organised in conjunction with Teachers’ Day to be celebrated this May 16.
Apart from teachers, she said the school’s Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) should also play their role to address the child abuse problem by, among others, enhancing awareness among parents to not release their anger, frustration and stress on children at home.
“Teachers and parents play an important role to avoid any injury on children by adults because of stress,” she added.
A total of 295 primary and secondary schools in the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory took part in the various activities, including run, telematch and science and robotics exhibition. — Bernama
