Can school admin staff mete out punishment?

Sarawak Teachers Union (STU) wants the Education Ministry to establish childcare centres in big schools so teachers with young children can have 'peace of mind.'

KUCHING: The Sarawak Teachers Union (STU) wants the Education Ministry to come out with proper guidelines to regulate and guide the conduct and responbilities of non- academic staff working in schools.

The call followed a recent incident in which a seven-year old student Bomay Edwin from Sekolah Kebangasaan Sungai Buloh in Selangau was allegedly caned by a ‘teaching assistant.’

Bomay had, on returning from school, told his grandmother Engut Jampong, 64, that he had been caned by a ‘kakak’ in school.

The school staff had allegedly punished the boy for stealing his classmate’s T-shirt. Bomay had also claimed that the staff had knocked his head with an object.

According to Jampong, her traumatised grandson was now unhappy to return to school.

STU president Willian Ghani said it was imperative that such incidents do not repeat itself. He said currently the situation was ambiguous.

“In school, we cane to educate students to make them aware of their mistakes and guide them towards the correct path.

“Caning Primary 1 students will make them afraid to go to school. This we do not want. What is more important is to make schooling attractive and appealing to young children,” he said, adding that it was vital that school staff knew the dos and don’ts of dealing with children.

Ghani said there was a “pressing need for the ministry to provide guidance to non-teaching or support staff in schools” because they too deal directly with the children.

“Knowing the procedures and guidelines better, they will be able to restraint and avoid taking matters into their own hands.”

According to Ghani only ‘designated’ teachers could carry out caning of pupils.

The ‘designation’ is often in the form of a written approval from the headmaster and is given to a teacher on a year-to-year basis.

“According to the guidelines, a student can be caned not more than three times a day.

Childcare centres in schools

Meanwhile Ghani also called on the ministry to consider establishing childcare centres in big schools so that teachers with infants or young children can send them there.

Speaking to Borneo Post in Miri, he said it would give teachers ‘peace of mind’ knowing their young children were within reach.

“They also can nurse their children and there would be more bonding. But the most important thing is that the teachers could work peacefully,” he said.

Aware of the cost factor, Ghani pointed out that the care centre could be “shared by others nearby” but stressed that the ‘a government institution such as a school must start’ the programme.

“The government must set the example for the private sector to follow,” he added.