PUTRAJAYA – “If it happens, tell me at which school, so action can be taken,” said Senior Education Minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin when asked to comment on the practice of conducting physical checks on female students to prove whether or not they are actually menstruating, not just using it as an excuse to escape fasting and prayers.
Radzi said the Education Ministry (MoE) is investigating whether such incidents are taking place at boarding schools under the ministry, but so far there is no indication that such a practice exists.
He stressed that MoE will take further action if there are complete details on the claims.
Citing a recent case involving SMK 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 has conducted an investigation on the matter and found that the claims were true, 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’ (that such practices exist),” he said.
An online portal had previously reported that several students from unnamed schools alleged that period spot checks have been a practice in schools for 20 years.
On a video that went viral on TikTok 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, and moreover it involves the manners and integrity of our children,” he said. – Bernama, April 26, 2021
