It was recently reported that parents of some children in a school in Hulu Selangor were furious that no action has been taken against a teacher who was allegedly caught molesting at least nine students for months despite the parents’ complaints to the district education department (The Star, 21 May 2016). Similarly, in March this year, there was also another serious complaint of a headmaster in Sabah who shared pornographic pictures and videos in a Whatapps Chat. He was then promptly transferred to a rural school which angered many parents.

Recently the Women’s Centre for Change, Penang (WCC) handled another case of sexual molestation by a teacher. Two months have passed since the local education authorities were made aware of the complaint and yet the teacher is still teaching in his school.

Sexual crimes against children by teachers are not new. Our biggest concern is the seeming lack of appropriate actions taken by the Ministry of Education and its state education departments to immediately investigate and act effectively on such serious complaints to protect our children.

Parents expect their children to be safe in school. It is not surprising that in instances of sexual molestation of a child by a teacher, parents will immediately inform the school and the education authorities expecting them to assist them to ensure that their children are safe from the teacher. Understandably, many parents are reluctant to make police reports against such teachers because they wish to protect their children from having to suffer from invasive hospital examinations, questioning by police, welfare or school authorities and having to attend to court proceedings and so on.

WCC has been given to understand that if a police report has been made, the Education Department will then leave the matter to the police to investigate and the person will be charged should there be sufficient evidence. It is common knowledge that the whole process will take many months and or even years before a perpetrator of child sexual abuse is punished.

However a number of questions need answering. Will the Ministry of Education immediately investigate a parent’s complaint irrespective of whether or not a police report has been made? Will the teacher in question be allowed to continue to have access to children or will he be suspended while an investigation is on-going? Will his services be terminated if the teacher admits to committing the offense or is found guilty in the ministry’s investigation?

Over the years WCC has seen a few teachers who have admitted to committing an offence against school children being transferred to other schools. This is hardly a protective measure for our children in schools. Transferring teachers who are child molesters only serves to give the child molester further opportunities to molest other children.

There is an urgent need for the Ministry of Education to have strict standard operating procedures (SOP) to be implemented in every district education department to immediately suspend teachers accused of child molestation pending investigations and to hold immediate investigations and internal inquiries on the complaints. Those found guilty should have their services terminated and not just transferred to other schools.

The Ministry of Education must be serious about safeguarding and protecting our children in school especially since children are under the care and guidance of teachers in school. The Ministry must come up with some effective measures to protect our children and stop sexual abuse against children in schools. There must be diligent training, monitoring and evaluation of these measures to ensure compliance by district education departments. There is no room for lackadaisical attitudes where the safety of our children are concerned.

Loh Cheng Kooi is the Executive Director of Women’s Centre for Change, Penang

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