NUTP decides to sue parent for false report to the media: Will this backfire?
Malaysiakini reported today, in its Bahasa Melayu section, about the decision by the NUTP to sue one of the parents who had made a false report to the media.
“Setiausaha Agung NUTP, Lok Yim Pheng berkata, perkara tersebut diputuskan sebulat suara dalam mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Kerja NUTP pada 30 Ogos lalu.
Kami tidak mahu maruah, imej dan profesyen keguruan tercemar kerana budaya guru kerap diserang oleh ibu-bapa di dalam media,” katanya
Source: Malaysiakini
I agree with NUTP, if any parent made a false report to the media that would tarnish the image of the teacher, the school and consequently, the teaching profession, please take appropriate action, by all means.
However, this decision may backfire. NUTP may have just started a war with parents. Bear in mind, in all the brouhaha about the issues involving teachers and students, you will notice that most of the time it was the teachers were always at fault by over-reacting in caryying out their duties as educators, eventhough it was the students who had caused the teachers to behave in such unacceptable behaviours.
As teachers, they should always have patient and self-control when dealing with students antiques. Loosing their heads for whatever reasons, no matter how serious the mistakes or troubles created by the students, would only mean troubles for the teachers and the schools as the public always expect the teachers are well educated to handle the situation professionally.
All these while, the parents are very forgiving in handling misbehaviours by the teacher. The farthest parents have gone when a teacher mistreated their children were to make police reports and the matters are normally forgotten in no time.
If the NUTP proceeds with their decision to sue any parent for whatever reason, then I think the scenario may change significantly in the future. I am sure there are more opportunities for parents to sue teachers, schools, and the Ministry of Education (not surprisingly the NUTP as well) than the other way around.
Take my case for example. My daughter attended a primary school in Klang and one fine day a couple of years ago, the entire students in her class were punished by one female teacher because the students were making noises in the class. And you know what was the punishment? All students were beatened by the teacher…. using a broomstick. My daughter came back home with bruises on her thigh.
When I came back from work that day, I wasted no time and immediately sent my daughter for medical checkup. The doctor’s examination confirmed that the bruises were caused by a blunt object. Armed with the medical report, I immediately went to see the headmistress of the school demanding that the matter been investigated and appropriate action being taken against the teacher. Then I went to see the President of the Parents Teachers Association but he was not home that night so I just left him a letter that I had written earlier, explaining what had happened and urging the PTA to investigate this matter.
In the letter that I had also sent to the school Principal through my daughter, I had demanded that the teacher admitted her mistake and apologize to all students for the excessive action taken by her, or I will bring this matter further to the Ministry of Education and possibly to the media.
My daughter came back home the next day informing me that the teacher had apologized to the students and I had laid the matter to rest.
Now, NUTP can sue the parent for false allegation in the media, but for such cases that happened to my daughter, I am very sure parents will not hesitate to pursue any such cases in courts as well, not for retaliating against the move by NUTP, but merely to exercise their rights. The era where parents are more forgiving may be coming to an end…. so teachers, I really appreciate your efforts and dedications in teaching our children to become good educated citizens but please… do not behave like thugs as you set bad examples for the students and the community, and possibly face unwanted legal battles for your misconducts.
I like to take this opportunity to thank one Cikgu Nizam who had always been a good discipline teacher when I was studying in primary school. I was one of the students who always created trouble in the class and Cikgu Nizam always had good reasons to cane me, but he never did it in a harmful way. Thank you again for caning me so many times for my misbehaviour…. :)
[tags]teacher, NUTP, teaching[/tags]
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