Education Exco Should Conduct Surprise Visits To Schools - Johor Speaker

ISKANDAR PUTERI, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- Johor State Assembly Speaker Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi proposed that state Education and Information Committee chairman Aznan Tamin carry out unannounced visits to schools in the state.

The Rengit state assemblyman said such visits or inspections should be conducted to observe the actual conditions in schools and ensure that they remain safe at all times.

He added that the visits should be carried out without informing the relevant agencies, including the Johor Education Department (JPNJ) or the Ministry of Education (MOE).

“Based on my experience, I once visited a school in Kuala Lumpur and was able to enter without any obstacles.

“But when I visited a rural school in Terengganu, the security guard did not allow me in until I signed the logbook. That is a good example of how school safety can be maintained,” he said during the State Legislative Assembly sitting in Kota Iskandar here today.

He said this after Aznan (BN-Tanjung Surat) responded to an oral question on the Johor Student Character Programme (KRMJ) and the impact of the state’s Anti-Bullying Campaign.

Mohd Puad added that student safety has become an increasingly serious concern, noting that crimes or murder cases involving school students - previously seen only abroad - are now occurring in the country as well.

Hence, he said, surprise visits can help the authorities identify weaknesses that may not have been officially reported and subsequently strengthen safety measures to prevent unwanted incidents.

Earlier, during the oral question session on the measures taken and planned to ensure the safety of school students across Johor, Aznan said a special ‘Johor Safe Zone’ Committee had been established, involving several state executive councillors, to ensure that schools in the state remain safe.

He said these efforts are further supported by continuous guidance from the JPNJ and the district education offices (PPDs) through training sessions, implementation briefings and regular monitoring.

“The Johor government continues to work closely with all stakeholders through the JPNJ and has forged strategic collaboration with the state police contingent,” he said.

“Police are also directly involved through the placement of school liaison officers (PPS) under the Jom Ke Sekolah and Sekolah Rakan Cop Johor (SRJ) programmes. Most recently, QR code scanning has been introduced for police patrol inspections at all schools and school dormitories across Johor,” he said.

-- BERNAMA