[UPDATED] MoE refutes discrimination claims on ‘Muslim-only’ SPM workshop

KUALA LUMPUR – The Education Ministry today refuted allegations of discrimination in a recent SPM workshop supposedly held for Muslim pupils only in an elite all-girls school in Johor.

In a statement today, the ministry explained that the workshop is broken into several sessions to avoid disrupting Chinese New Year festivities for students celebrating the occasion.

The ministry further explained that a separate workshop will be held for the said students on January 26 and 27.

The earlier workshop session, held on January 19 and 20 at Suasana Hotel in Johor Baru, comprised 30 students who had failed to pass their Bahasa Malaysia and History syllabus, among other subjects.

The ministry further explained that the workshop is organised by the Johor Baru district education office, assisted by the school administrator, and done in cooperation with the parent-teacher association, as well as the school’s other support groups.

Despite the allegations, the ministry insisted that the workshop is part of several programs aimed to help all students prepare for their SPM, in line with their mandate and policies to ensure that education is accessible to all, regardless of race and religion.

“However, communications (to inform on education programmes) will be improved to avoid a similar situation from recurring in the future,” the statement read.

Earlier today, The Vibes reported that several parents of non-Muslim students in an all-girls public school in Johor were outraged after the institution allegedly conducted a workshop for the SPM examination exclusively for its poorly performing Muslim pupils.

The matter was highlighted by Twitter user Anne Louis yesterday evening, claiming that the workshop, which went on for two days and one night, was held at a hotel recently.

According to her, the institution, listed as one of the country’s high-performance schools, had originally claimed that the programme was meant only for Muslim students, as it would be focusing on Islamic studies.

However, she said, it was later discovered that the workshop was a comprehensive one covering several critical subjects, including chemistry and additional mathematics, drawing the ire of non-Muslim parents and students. – The Vibes, January 24, 2023