Suhakam: Govt must prevent dropouts among vulnerable communities

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) in conjunction with the International Day of Education today, has reminded the government of its duty to find ways to prevent school and university dropouts, particularly among vulnerable communities.

It said the Covid-19 pandemic has hindered access to education and needs to be addressed. 

"This year’s International Day of Education theme ‘Recover and Revitalise Education for the Covid-19 Generation’ is apt as it portrays one of the main challenges faced by many around the world including Malaysia, which is access to education.

"Equal access to education is the most basic human right provided under Article 12 of the Federal Constitution and the pandemic has not only caused severe health and economic impacts, it has also posed challenges for students in accessing education," Suhakam said in a statement today.

It added that while schools and universities have resorted to technological solutions to conduct online classes and lectures for students, this did not ensure access to education for all as underprivileged students often lacked internet access and technological devices.

"In this regard, Suhakam commends the noble efforts by various parties including NGOs, MPs and state assemblies to provide laptops and tablets for the underprivileged students."

The human rights body noted that RM47.2 billion has been allocated to the Education Ministry and RM11.6 billion to the Higher Education Ministry in Budget 2021 to provide quality education.

"In the midst of the pandemic, the government should also focus on the mitigation of the learning loss and prevent dropouts particularly among vulnerable groups in the country.

"In this regard, Suhakam urges both ministries to expedite the improvement of educational facilities and provide the necessary assistance to enable online education and a conducive learning environment for all... leaving no one behind."

Suhakam also highlighted the need for the implementation of precautionary measures and strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure the safety of students involved with examinations and required to attend school in person.

"We are of the view that human rights education is an integral part of the efforts to eliminate racial polarisation and discrimination in the national education system.

"As an effort to promote the inclusion of human rights education in schools, Suhakam in collaboration with the Education Ministry has so far implemented the Human Rights Best Practices (Atham) programme in 469 schools nationwide.

"This is in keeping with one of the objectives of its 2021-2025 Strategic Plan which is to eliminate racism through education," it added. - Mkini