A research conducted by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has yielded disturbing results:

A majority of students and teachers in secondary schools nationwide appear to be in the dark about human rights.

While most students did not know about Suhakam's existence either, their teachers were more aware but sketchy about the details.

Another unsettling finding was that more than half of the secondary students (63.6 percent) and teachers (50 percent) interviewed stated that discrimination is practiced in their schools.

The report - titled 'Research on Knowledge and Practice of Human Rights in Secondary Schools' - was conducted in 2003. It was unveiled by Suhakam commissioners Dr Chiam Heng Keng and Asiah Abu Samah at the commission's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

The objective of the research was to assess the knowledge of students, teachers and school administrators of child's rights and the extent to which human rights practices were upheld.

Forty secondary schools nationwide were involved in the research with responses obtained from 5,754 students, 2,132 teachers and 142 administrators.
"As high as 70 percent of the students, except for those in technical schools, did not know of the existence of Suhakam until they participated in the study," revealed the 132-page report.

Teachers back caning

Meanwhile, less than 10 percent of the teachers and administrators were found to have any knowledge about the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

"Therefore, it is not surprising that more than 80 percent of them had the misconception that the CRC had been passed by the government," said the report.

The research also found that most students, teachers and administrators approved of caning and had the opinion that students with disabilities should be in special schools.

"Many students did not think it is wrong for teachers to ridicule them if the intention is to motivate them to study," it said.

As for the discrimination, students and teachers claimed that it was often based on gender, race, religion, social standing and economic status.

For students, discrimination based on academic ability was also common, added the 132-page report.

Male students complained of teachers favouring female students and the former get punished or scolded more severely for the same offence.

"Are teachers and the education system bias towards girls? Do boys suffer greater discrimination in schools than girls?" asked the report, adding that a more in-depth study was needed to address this issue.

In technical schools, it is the female students who are discriminated against.

"Are female students being discriminated because technical subjects are considered to be appropriate for male students? This finding probably warrants a closer look," read the report.

Physical appearance

In several cases, physical appearance was also cited as a catalyst for discrimination. The students also alleged that bias is often shown in the selection of leaders, especially prefects.

As for the teachers, discrimination was found to be more rampant in urban rather than rural schools.

Of those interviewed in urban schools, 54 percent complained of discrimination as opposed to 45.1 percent of rural teachers.

The commissioners also unveiled another report pertaining to the rights of persons with disabilities.

It highlighted their day-to-day woes concerning education, public facilities, health, employment, banking, insurance and housing.

Noting that the government had done much to improve the facilities and policy for the disabled, the report said Malaysia still had a long way to go before persons with disabilities have access to an illusive, barrier-free society.

Suhakam also provided several recommendations on how to improve this.