The Education Ministry's proposal to confer all teachers with the power to cane errant students may not be a wise move, according to several individuals today.

Former headmistress of SMK Taman Melawati Sunani Ginen said the proposal, should it come into effect, would reduce the effectiveness of caning as a means of disciplining students.

"If we let all teachers cane, then it lowers the position of 'caning' as a corporal way of punishing and deterring the breaking of rules

"If the new ruling comes into effect, children will see that since all their teachers can cane, there's no difference between a subject teacher doing the task and the headmaster or headmistress. 'There's no big deal,' they would say," she said when contacted.

The ministry's proposal followed a spate of gangsterism activities reported in several schools over the past few months.

Possibility of abuse

SRK Taman Klang Jaya Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) chairperson Dr Ahmad Mohammad Mahshoor also expressed reservation and warned that such a move could give rise to abuse.

"I would voice my concern against the policy because it might lead to an abuse of power by teachers. At least headmasters and headmistresses are appointed and chosen for the position," he said.

Echoing similar concerns, PTA chairperson for the Adni Islamic School in Ampang Nazli Kamaruddin raised the possibility of teachers "lashing out" for personal reasons.

"Teachers can be quite emotional. At least with headmasters, they would have attained some degree of (professional) competence to reach their position," he told malaysiakini.

On the same note, he said school authorities must be able to reprimand errant students without any fear of reprisal from parents such as in the form of legal action.

"If anybody breaks the major disciplinary rules, they should be punished, without fear of retribution by parents. If something wrong has been done, it should be punished," he said.

However, he said offences that warranted caning should be listed clearly.

Support proposal

The proposal was not without its supporters either. Former PTA chairperson of a secondary school in Bangsar Fauzi Ahmad believes that the move could help deter discipline problems among students.

"Caning does not usually happen as a 'spur of the moment' thing based merely on whim. There are steps taken, procedures have been determined and codified in the school discipline system.

"Caning does not happen in merely in accordance to just anybody's wishes," he said.

Fauzi, who called on parents to support the ministry's proposal, added that he has witnessed the positive effects of strict disciplining measures.

"The school that I was the PTA chairperson of is situated right in Kuala Lumpur, where supposedly all the possibilities of juvenile deviance might happen.

"However, with the strong discipline procedures, the school has been able to run smoothly without very big problems," he said.

Regardless of their position on the issue, however, all those interviewed agreed that corporal punishment was not the only means of handling issues of discipline among students.

The responsibility of disciplining does not lie solely in the school authorities, they said. Parents should collaborate with teachers, and be actively involved in the PTA of their children's school as well as their education generally.