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KUALA LUMPUR - The Ministry of Education (MOE) is expanding the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to 333 boarding schools this year, with an additional allocation of RM5 million, to strengthen student monitoring and safety in an effort to tackle bullying.
Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek said 300 MySTEP warden assistants were also deployed starting last April to help monitor students in hostels, particularly at night.
"I understand the anxiety parents feel whenever a bullying incident occurs. I am a mother, too. My own child studied and lived in a hostel within the same education system.
"There are measures we initiated several years ago. There are also measures we have newly added upon realising there was still room for improvement," she said in a Facebook post regarding the Ministry of Education's (MOE) steps to address the issue of bullying in schools.
She said MOE's bullying complaint system has also been enhanced with an anonymous reporting function via the MOE Bullying Complaint Portal to protect the identities of complainants and witnesses.
In addition, prevention and early intervention efforts have been strengthened through the S.A.F.E. Framework, which encompasses prevention, early intervention, and rehabilitation approaches including the use of Peer Support Groups and focused counseling.
Fadhlina said Character Education would be introduced in the 2027 School Curriculum, emphasising values and character including integrity and empathy.
She noted that MOE is collaborating with the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister's Department to draft the Anti-Bullying Act 2026, which includes provisions for establishing an Anti-Bullying Tribunal as a channel for victims to seek redress.
"MOE also introduced the Guidelines on Managing Bullying Misconduct in 2023 to serve as an official reference for schools in receiving complaints, conducting investigations, taking disciplinary action, and implementing interventions," she said.
Fadhlina emphasised that the MOE cannot be complacent about the efforts implemented; it must constantly evaluate and address any shortcomings as long as there are still students who do not feel safe at school.
"As long as there is a child who does not feel safe at school, our work is not yet done," she said. - BERNAMA
