Yesterday, two of seven teens were formally accused of intentionally setting fire to the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyat Tahfiz school in Kuala Lumpur, which killed 21 students and two teachers.

Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid had said that the seven suspects arrested for involvement in the fire may have been caught up in drugs at the time that they went missing from school. The minister also added that they were expelled from school at least a year ago because of truancy issues.

There have been a number of write-ups on the fire, and some had demanded that the arsonists, some of whom are minors, be tried as adults. And there are others who blamed the parents.

Through the course of investigation, it soon became clear that this tragedy was the result of a tale of troubled teenagers, who got themselves mixed up in the deadly tangle of drug abuse, lack of school (as a result of being expelled) and getting into trouble with the law.

I look at it as a sad case of missed opportunities.

We all know they are mere teenagers. And when they got into trouble with their schools, and after a supposedly long investigation, these teenagers were expelled.

In normal circumstances, some parents of expelled students would find them alternative avenues, be it another school, or even jobs.

But this group of teenagers were not so lucky. Their parents were not well-to-do. Some of the interviews published in the media showed that the parents themselves are merely meking out a living.

As one parent said: “I worked hard to give the family a good life, the best way I can. All he needed to do was to go to school, but he never listened…’

And now that their children were expelled, the parent(s) would let “nature run its course” – i.e., the teenagers would be left on their own, and hopefully, do not fall into or engage in unhealthy activities.

Yes, schools are just following their SOPs, and expelled the students after other avenues of disciplining the students were exhausted.

But is that merely washing their hands of the problem? After expulsion, the problem was then transferred from the school to the outside world.

One of the reasons for schooling is to be educated. But education is not only learning and mastering the ABCs. Students also learn about people, respect, right and wrong, and many more. Most importantly, the students are guided.

By putting them out to the world at such a tender age, they were suddenly left with no one to guide them. They could not turn to their parents, as they already had their hands full (whether we like it or not, most parents “transfer” the teaching of their young ones to schools).

And without these guiding hands, they were left to their own devices. And sooner or later, they would fall among the unscrupulous.

The mind is the most important organ in our body. It is the mind that tells us what we can or cannot do. And at this young age, there are a lot of things that the mind is not yet able to comprehend. And it is at this tender age, that minds are easily moulded or influenced.

Some kids are lucky and learn new trades. But a majority are not. They will, over time, fall into the hands of the unscrupulous. And I cannot imagine how many students have already been expelled nationwide.

What can we do about it?

I have no solution. Perhaps experts could formulate one. Maybe, these students could be assimilated into “disciplined” services, e.g., the army, the police, or some “national service.” Most importantly, they should continue receiving guidance.

Society is a good teacher, but not always the best. Why throw these vulnerable kids into the streets, and merely pray that all will turn out well?