Period spot checks: "Tell me at which school" - Radzi Jidin

PUTRAJAYA: "If it happens, tell me at which school, so action can be taken," said Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin when asked to comment on the practice to conduct physical checks on female students to prove that they are menstruating and not use it as an excuse to escape fasting and prayers.

Radzi said the Ministry of Education (MOE) is investigating if such incidents are taking place at boarding schools under the ministry, yet so far there was no indication that such practice existed.

He stressed that MOE would take further action if the were complete details on the claims.

Citing a recent case involving Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Dato’ Bentara Luar in Batu Pahat, Johor that was found to segregate co-curricular activities based on the race and gender of its students, Radzi said MOE had conducted an investigation on the matter and found that it did happen following which a statement had been issued to address the matter.

"But for that (period spot check) issue, we're drilling until now, we are checking one by one, we've asked all divisions and the answer was no (such practices existed)," he said.

An online portal had previously reported that several students from unnamed schools alleged that the period spot checks had been a practice in schools for 20 years.

On a video that went viral on the Tik Tok application where a female student claimed her physical education teacher suggested that students should rape someone above 18, Radzi said the teacher was out of line.

"It has become a police case, we do not want to talk much about it. But the act should not have happened, all of us do not agree, moreover it involves the manners and integrity of our children," he said.

-- BERNAMA