Spare the rod on primary school students, says ex-principal

Primary school students should not be slapped or caned because this will cause them to become disinterested in attending school, said a former principal today.

Speaking at the Ummah Uprising Convention in Kuala Lumpur today, Retired Education Officers Malaysia Association president Abdul Raof Hussin said educators should refrain from publicly disciplining students using physical force.

He urged them instead to protect students as if they were their own children.

“Personally, as a principal for 13 years and a teacher for nine years, I disagree with teachers slapping or caning kids. Especially if they are primary school students. Students should be taught.  

“No matter what, do not cane them in public, especially in primary school. When primary school students are slapped they will become disinterested in attending school. This is psychology,” he said.

Abdul Raof was responding to questions about several teachers being taken to court recently after physically disciplining students.

Among the most well-known cases is the case of Azizan Manap, who was previously accused by the family of an 11-year-old boy for slapping him at the assembly area of SK Taman Semarak, Nilai back in April. Azizan had reportedly done so to punish the boy for sniffing glue, playing truant and bullying his schoolmates.

Charges against the assistant student affairs teacher, popularly known as “Cikgu Azizan”, were later dropped under orders from the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

Just this week, another teacher by the name Idzahril Ahmad, 53, was accused of hitting a nine-year-old pupil at SK Sri Sentosa, Nibong Tebal, Penang in Aug 2 last year.

According to a Malay daily report last year, the student's mother had said that Idzahril was teaching in a classroom at the school when he saw the boy running in the corridor.

Idzahril then allegedly caned the boy twice on his back, leading the latter to run back to his classroom in fear.

The student’s mother further alleged that the teacher followed her son to his classroom, and pulled him across the floor, before kicking him on the waist, three times. As a result, the boy reportedly sustained injuries to his waist, back and mouth, after allegedly hitting a table while being dragged.

Idzahril’s case will be heard at the Jawi Magistrate’s Court on Feb 19.

If convicted, Idzahril can be jailed for a year, or fined RM2,000, or both.- Mkini