Caning allowed but only if counselling fails

In schools, caning has been allowed but only for offences that are considered serious. However, repeat offenders or those continuing to show complete disregard to the school authorities would be given warnings followed by counselling, the Myanmar Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister said in 2015.

Caning allowed if all disciplinary efforts fail – Fatimah

KUCHING: Caning as a form of discipline in schools will only be used for serious offences and as a last resort if all other counselling or rehabilitation efforts have failed.

This was stated by Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah, who said the school authority would first give advice to a student who committed an offence, as the initial step to rehabilitate him or her.

For repeat offenders or those continuing to show complete disregard to the school authorities or regulations, they would be given warnings followed by counselling, she added.

She said caning should only be used as the final measure after all efforts to improve a student’s behaviour have been exhausted.

However, she said, the punishment should be done sparingly to teach students good values and accountability.

“In schools, caning has been allowed but only for offences that are considered serious. However, there are orders that have to be met when meting out the caning punishment.

“First of all, only the school principal or authorised person is allowed to do the caning in the presence of a witness and not done in public. Secondly, caning can only be allowed on specific areas of the body. For female and male students, the ways to cane and allowed areas differ accordingly,” she told The Borneo Post yesterday.

The Dalat assemblywoman was commenting on a statement by Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun, saying that there were no plans to have a special provision to make caning of a child an offence under the new Child Act.

Azizah said this in Parliament on Monday when responding to a question raised by Sipitang MP Datuk Sapawi Ahmad.

She pointed out that there was already a provision under the Child Act 2001 where harming a child physically or emotionally is an offence punishable by a maximum RM20,000 fine or jail term of not more than 10 years or both.

She also noted that the protection is found under Section 31(1) of the Act and would be maintained under the new Child Act, while explaining that the new laws were intended to strike a balance between child protection and parent’ rights to discipline their children in an appropriate and positive manner.

In this regard, Fatimah mentioned that Islamic teachings also allowed caning as a form of punishment but not to the extent that it could become harmful and abusive as it is supposed to teach children a lesson.

“Parents must be advised and reminded to only resort to caning if all other methods have failed,” she said.

As published in the Borneo Post, 18 March 2015.

Picture credit: Sting Pictures.

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