Inspector-General of Police, Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail, said that every safety incident that occurs at schools must be reported immediately to avoid protracted problems and ensure that parents are aware of the real situation.
Mohd Khalid added that schools across the country were still safe despite several criminal cases that had received public attention recently.
“If you look at it as a whole, schools in this country are still safe. We have over 10,000 schools with hundreds of thousands of students and over 400,000 teachers.”
According to him, the police always work with schools to ensure the safety of students, but do not rule out the possibility that the influence of social media could trigger unwanted actions among students.
Social media influences can drive students to behave erratically
In a press conference yesterday (14 October), Mohd Khalid also advised that parents play a greater role in monitoring their children’s movements outside of school.
However, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) also did not rule out the possibility that exposure on social media can influence the actions of certain individuals or students.
“This includes control over the use of technology and social media so that they are not influenced by negative elements.”
Khalid added that school administrators, including teachers, should report criminal cases that occurred at schools to the police. This is to ensure that parents also know what is really happening at their child’s school.
He said that PDRM also views seriously the actions of school administrators and teachers trying to resolve problems involving student safety without intervention from the authorities.
Police officers will also bring patrol cars to conduct regular patrols at night at the boarding schools, Khalid said.
