Reintroduce caning as conditional disciplinary measure in schools - NGO

A mental recovery advocacy club, NGO Empati, is calling on the government to reintroduce conditional caning in schools as a measure to restore disciplinary authority and deal with cases of student misconduct.

NGO Empati founder and president Syahida Zulkarnain said in a statement that caning, implemented ethically and based on strict standard operating procedures (SOPs), can be an effective educational tool to shape moral boundaries and discipline in students.

“Caning is not a tool of abuse, but a symbol of authority and loving care to educate, a form of discipline in Islam to shape moral boundaries and discipline, not to cause trauma,” she said.

She added that the move does not mean a return to a harsh approach, but rather a balanced approach between punishment and rehabilitation to create a safe, disciplined and value-based school environment.

“Caning is only allowed for serious offences, carried out by an authorised teacher, using a light cane without causing harm, and accompanied by a written report,” she said.

According to Syahida, a study by Universiti Malaya (Jurnal Fiqh, 2019) supports the implementation of conditional caning in line with the SOP of the Education Ministry under the Education (School Discipline) Regulations 1959 and Professional Circular No 7/2003.

She said the failure to enforce strict discipline in schools has contributed to the increase in juvenile cases and student misconduct, which is described as a “sign of social anxiety” that needs to be addressed immediately.

NGO Empati also proposed that the National Education Policy be updated to be more comprehensive by taking into account current challenges, including the influence of social media, juvenile crime and students' mental health.

Earlier, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, during the Minister's Question Time session at the Dewan Rakyat, opined that the implementation of caning in schools should be reconsidered, but must be implemented according to guidelines and strict controls to prevent any form of abuse.

Anwar stressed that the view was his personal opinion and had not become government policy, and that the matter needed to be refined through comprehensive engagement between the Education Ministry and stakeholders, including the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).

- Bernama

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