According to a report by The Star, 442 out of 5.1 million primary and secondary students in Malaysia have been expelled over several disciplinary issues.
This number may seem small in comparison to the total number of students across the country, but it is still a significant group considering the expelled students reportedly came from 2,400 secondary schools.
Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid reportedly said the five main discipline-related issues that resulted in expulsion were gangsterism, bullying, drugs, truancy and criminal matters.
Students with disciplinary problems would usually be given counselling first before the school decides to expel them as the last resort.
It has also reportedly been proposed to send students with more severe disciplinary issues to rehabilitation centres or prison.
However, Mahdzir said that this was still under consideration as the ministry is currently getting feedback from teachers and parents, as well as fine-tuning this proposal with the Prisons Department, as reported by The Star.
He added that rehabilitation programmes are currently being implemented in eight prisons and four Henry Gurney reform schools, but only for students who have been convicted of criminal offences.
So far, the measures that have been taken in schools were efforts to prevent students from being expelled, as reported by New Straits Times.
Mahdzir said the ministry has also conducted a study recently to identify where students are prone to disciplinary issues in urban and rural areas.
In fact, location and family background were reportedly important factors in determining a student’s disciplinary aspect.
So, it is crucial that parents or guardians as well as the education ministry work together to put a stop to these issues.