PETALING JAYA, Nov 1 — Teachers who are accused of molesting students can be transferred to another school, unless they are found guilty.
Education director-general Tan Sri Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof said the standard operating procedure was fair to the parties in the schools where the offence was alleged to have taken place.
“We must ensure that natural justice prevails. It has to be ensured that there is no element of malicious intent and we must be firm of the prima facie of any allegations,” he said when contacted yesterday.
“Until the investigations are completed, we cannot create a situation where someone is seen to be guilty before being proven to be guilty.”
Referring to the transfer of a teacher who allegedly molested nine primary school students, Khair said the accused had lodged a police report in his defence.
He said the ministry had suspended the teacher from the school where the offence was alleged to have taken place by transferring him to another school until investigations were completed.
Yesterday, the Education Ministry in a written reply to Teo Nie Ching (DAP-Kulai) said the teacher from a school in Hulu Selangor was transferred to another school and was being monitored by the state and district education departments.
“The ministry is also working with the police to solve the case according to the law,” the ministry said.
There have been 15 cases of molestation reported since 2010, involving teachers and students.
The ministry said for each reported case, investigations were carried out by the respective schools, the district education office, state education department and the ministry itself.
Actions taken, which is in line with the ministry’s set procedures, include transferring the teacher to another district and for the teacher to be monitored by the state education department’s counselling department.
“The students that were involved were given counselling by the school’s counselling teacher and the state education department would take disciplinary action against the teacher once there is a decision by the court,” the ministry said.
Teo had asked the ministry the total number of complaints received since 2010 about teachers molesting students.
She also asked the ministry for an update on the action taken in the case involving the Hulu Selangor Tamil school teacher.
In early May, a Year Five pupil of the school in Hulu Selangor reported the alleged misconduct involving a teacher to another teacher.
Reports said that the accused teacher had been molesting the pupil for several months and nine pupils were identified to have been his victims.
The headmaster of the school was reported to have informed the district education office.
Parents and parent-teacher association were furious they had not been informed of the incidents and feared a cover-up as no action was taken against the teacher.
