MOE to increase number of counselling teachers if school bullying cases persist

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Education (MOE) plans to increase the number of guidance and counselling teachers if cases of bullying at schools continue to persist and show a rising trend, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Minister Lim Hui Ying said that guidance and counselling are among the immediate measures that can be taken to address this social issue in schools.

"The bullies must be given proper guidance to understand why they should not engage in bullying. So, counselling is very important," she said in reply to Dr Ahmad Fakhruddin Fakhrurazi (PN-Kuala Kedah) during Question Time.

Lim also said that based on MOE's Sistem Sahsiah Diri Murid (SSDM) statistics, bullying incidents at schools had shown an increase, with 4,994 cases recorded as of October 2023, compared to 3,887 cases last year.

She said all of these cases have been investigated, and follow-up actions have been taken with a focus on providing guidance and counselling to those involved.

"Our objective is to ensure that bullying cases can be reduced, especially by providing appropriate guidance to both the bullies and the victims," she added.

-- BERNAMA