Malaysiakini : The Parent Teacher Association of premier residential secondary school Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) has slammed the family of a Form 4 student, who was reportedly sent to the hospital after allegedly being bullied by his schoolmates.
In a statement, the PTA said the student's family should not have posted about the case on social media, causing it to go viral and impact the school's reputation. "The move to make viral the issue has had a large impact and smeared the image of the MCKK as a whole," the PTA said in a statement dated yesterday.
"The MCKK PTA regrets the selfish decision made by the student's family to make this issue viral. "We hope this case will be a lesson to all parents not to intervene in school matters and to accept decisions made by MCKK's management with an open heart," it added.
Malaysiakini has contacted the student's family, the school and the Education Ministry but are withholding the family's response, pending replies from all three stakeholders. The school and the ministry have yet to respond. Earlier, Sinar Harian reported that Kuala Kangsar police confirmed it is investigating a bullying case involving a boy from a residential school there.
'Respect school's decision'
Meanwhile, the PTA said the boy's parents should have respected the school's procedures and decisions. "All decisions made by the school are transparent without external interventions," it said. The PTA also claimed parents of Form 4 students had written a letter threatening to take action against school authorities if the school's decision on the matter remained.
In the letter, which has gone viral, the parents claimed the alleged perpetrators were not suspended from school, although some punishment was meted out. "The PTA respects the school and principal's decision not to bow to any threats by the parents of Form 4 students," it said. It added that since the alleged bullying case went viral, students have been verbally abused by members of the public or chased out of eateries during outings in Kuala Kangsar town.
As such, all students are no longer allowed to go to Kuala Kangsar town on their own and are not allowed to respond to any outsiders "provoking" them on the matter, the PTA said.Students are also urged to report any attacks against them to the school, and police reports will be made. Students' mental well-being will also be monitored, the PTA said.
Melbournian 55 : So now the PTA is part of 'bully cluster' too?
Headhunter : Hello PTA, would you say that if the student is your child? Let the school and the parents sort it out. If you cannot mediate, just stay quiet. You are obviously taking side. Your statement says that. It's the bullies that soiled the reputation of the schools.
Jarchin : PTA, you say that the news brought disgrace to the College. That means you agree that the subject of the news, ie bullying, is disgraceful. PTA, your now trying to cover it up is by itself a disgrace. Remember, your role is also to protect the bullied student. Please resign enblock.
Thickskin : The bullies and their parents smeared MCKKs reputation and not the bullied and his family. I cannot understand how the PTA came to that idiotic conclusion!
SeniorCitizen :Why does the PTA accuse the bullied boy's family of being selfish? From my reading of the article, it is the PTA who is being selfish for wanting to silence the problem (which has already occurred) to try to selfishly maintain their reputation.
Vijay47 : The stand taken by the PTA is not at all surprising given that this is the climate where our prime minister proudly informs Japan that the present Gaza situation is worse than the atomic bomb tragedy that befell Hiroshima.
One would have thought that the PTA would have displayed honour and nobility in keeping with the fame that Malay College Kuala Kangsar carries. Sadly for MCKK, its PTA has reduced the college to one of those educational institutions where bullying seemingly is just another subject in the school curriculum.
What is truly shocking is the snarling, threatening reaction shown by the PTA towards the parents lodging a police report regarding the alleged bullying their son was subjected to. There was not any expression of sympathy to the boy, not a word of apology to the family, and no assurance that such acts of abuse in the college would not be tolerated nor allowed to continue.
On the contrary, the PTA has the nerve to claim that the police report “has smeared the image of MCKK as a whole”! I suppose it believes that the callous attitude it reflects towards the bullying incident is another feather in MCKK’s cap of glorious achievements.
But the show-stopper that takes the Olympic Gold Medal and the Oscar is "We hope this case will be a lesson to all parents not to intervene in school matters and to accept decisions made by MCKK's management with an open heart." Of course - that was not our child!
When a child is admitted to a residential school like MCKK, the parents apparently surrender to the school authorities all responsibility for the child’s welfare and even safety. The headmistress of the school Ain Husniza went to would surely agree. Only in Malaysia, folks, only in Malaysia.
OrangTua : Suffering in our own backyard. Where's YB Fadhlina?
The PTA statement smacks of arrogance. It is obvious that they are biased.
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