KUCHING: Greater parental involvement in children’s daily lives is crucial in addressing bullying and related disciplinary issues among school students.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran said parents should not leave the responsibility of shaping children’s discipline and behaviour solely to schools or teachers.
“Parents must also supervise and be involved in their children’s daily activities,“ he told a press conference after attending an anti-bully town hall programme.
“Many of us are so busy working that we leave it to the school to take care of everything.”
“The school is already burdened with so many responsibilities.”
“They must take note of what is happening to their children, who they mix with and who they go out with.”
Kulasegaran said he believes that caning can help address disciplinary issues among school students, just as it did with the older generation.
“Based on my experience, I personally got whacked by the teacher before,“ he shared.
“Nowadays, students go back to their parents to complain about being caned, and it has become a big issue.”
“But back in those days, if you went home and told your parents, they would just give you another round.”
The deputy minister emphasised that parental supervision remains essential for preventing bullying incidents among students.
He stressed that schools cannot single-handedly manage all aspects of student discipline without family support.
Kulasegaran’s comments come amid ongoing national discussions about effective approaches to school bullying prevention.
The anti-bully town hall programme aimed to raise awareness about bullying prevention strategies involving multiple stakeholders.
Community engagement initiatives like this seek to create collaborative approaches to student welfare and discipline. – Bernama
