Find a way to deal with alleged indiscipline in school: Ramasamy

GEORGE TOWN: The Education Ministry needs to revamp the way it deals with alleged indiscipline in schools following the controversial deaths of two teenagers in Penang in the past eight months, says Deputy Chief Minister II Prof Dr P. Ramasamy (pix).
Ramasamy said that the ministry was struggling to cope with the advent of discipline in the new age where smartphones and social media reign freely in schools and other learning institutions.
Last June, teenager T. Nhaveen was beaten to death in a squabble with his former schoolmates, who had bullied him in school and on Wednesday, Form Two student M. Vasanthapiriya committed suicide after she was accused of stealing one of her teachers' smartphone.
"Something is wrong with the education system. It has reached a point of violence and bad blood. We must find a way of reclaiming back our schools as centres of excellence in education and character upbringing. Of course, the role of the parents are also invaluable here."
He urged the authorities to introduce a new system in dealing with the new age of learning where students are exposed at a young age to globalisation and trendy new developments via social media and online portals.
Ramasamy said that in the case of the 14-year-old girl who passed away after she had earlier attempted to hang herself; the ministry needs to resolve the matter promptly and not plead ignorance over it.
"There might be criminal elements here and the authorities need to get down to the bottom of things."
Malaysian Tamilar Kural president David Marshel, who has been following up the case since it happened, urged the police and the state education department to swifty act on the matter.
He said nothing has been heard from the investigators and the department while police seemed slow in reacting to the situation.
"This is not a suicide. This is a murder," he told a press conference outside of ther Seberang Jaya Hospital's mortuary where the family of Vasanthapiriya had gathered to wait for the outcome of a post mortem.
The father of the deceased R. Muniandy held a brave front, and said he was trying to come to terms with her death.
"I just hope for justice to prevail," he said when met at the family house here.
Vasanthapiriya was founding hanging from a steel rod inside her bedroom by Muniandy and she was swiftly brought down and rushed to the Sungai Bakap Hospital before she was transferred to the Seberang Jaya Hospital.
MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam that there was a standard operating procedure within the educaiton system on cases of alleged juvenile delinquency.
"This should not have happened at all."
Several of the girl's classmates were visibly moved when they were asked to recall their friend.
They said that she was an athlete in school and even won several prizes in public speaking competitions.
Family members recalled that the girl was an obedient child.