Discipline in School – A New Disciplinary Guidelines for Malaysian Schools

General Education
#1

The Ministry of Education (MOE) of Malaysia is drawing up a new set of school disciplinary guidelines to maintain discipline in schools and to update the methods to discipline students.

Background on School Discipline in Malaysia

-At present, the method for maintaining school discipline, is prescribed in the “School Disciplinary Procedure Handbook for Headmasters and Teachers“.
-However this was written many years back. [Unverified, but the guidelines are probably formulated with the Education Act of 1996.]
-Schools and their teachers are expected to follow the guidelines outlined in the guidelines, especially in handing out punishments to misbehaving students.
-Teachers are not allowed to conduct punishments or act beyond the permitted disciplinary methods prescribed.

#2

The Issues Involving Present Day Disciplinary Measures

Some disciplinary teachers in their eagerness to carry out their duties, may have stepped across the border, causing physical and mental harm to the students.
Complaints reported against the errand teachers, if found to be true, will enter their “service record“.
In event of criminal offences, a police investigation will proceed against the teacher in question, and be punished by the law.

Present Day Scenario

When the current guidelines was set up, the mentality of the society was much different from present day societal mentality. Parents-teacher relationships are not the same as they used to be anymore.
In the past, teachers are respected figures in the community. At present, it is widely perceived that the standing of teachers has taken a minor fall.
Methods which were acceptable in previous times are now frown upon.
The emphasise should not be on punitive measures, but more on correcting students and letting them understand why they are being punished.

The Impending New Student Disciplinary Guidelines

Should punitive measures remain for the more misbehaving students? Some say, “spare the rod and spoil the child”. Some say that “Punitive measures have no place in school as schools institution of learning”.