THE Ministry of Education (MoE) has ruled out any immediate creation of a dedicated warden cadre for boarding schools, stressing that such a move would require a full structural review and approval from central agencies.
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh told the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday that, for now, the ministry remains committed to the long-established ‘in loco parentis’ model under which teachers serve as wardens and act “in the place of parents” in school hostels.
“KPM is of the view that this approach remains relevant and appropriate for current needs,” he said.
He was responding to Datuk Wan Saifulruddin Wan Jan (PN–Tasek Gelugor), who had asked whether KPM intended to appoint or expand the role of pupil management assistants to serve as hostel wardens.
Wong confirmed that as of September, the ministry had appointed 10,214 wardens in boarding schools nationwide, comprising 9,428 teachers and 786 non-teaching staff.
He added that the ministry would soon appoint 600 full-time assistant wardens under the Malaysia Short-Term Employment Programme (MySTEP) to strengthen hostel safety and reduce the administrative and pastoral load carried by teacher-wardens.
“Recommendations to create warden positions as a dedicated role require comprehensive study because they involve new staffing structures and depend on the consideration of central agencies,” he said.
He noted that in 2019, the ministry broadened eligibility for warden appointments to include non-teaching staff of Grade 1 and above to address the workload concerns of teachers who concurrently serve as educators and hostel guardians.
Wong emphasised that the in loco parentis framework entrusts wardens with responsibility for pupils’ welfare, safety, education and discipline while shaping their character and values.
He added that having teachers serve as wardens continues to reinforce pupils’ and parents’ trust in the management of school hostels. - December 3, 2025
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