SERIAN: An investigation is underway after a woman claimed that incidents of bullying and theft at a secondary school here where her children are studying have not been taken seriously.
The Sarawak Education Department commenced its probe on Tuesday (March 11) after it was alerted by Education, Innovation, and Talent Development Minister Datuk Seri Roland Sagah.
Nurul Syahada Edereal who took to social media to air her frustrations described disturbing incidents, including physical assaults, theft of money and personal belongings.
She claimed inadequate action was taken by the school authorities to address these issues.
When contacted, Syahada claimed that her eldest child had suffered severe bullying, including a fractured back and arm, and that food, money, and even toiletries were repeatedly stolen from her children at the school.
“My eldest child started Form 1 in 2021 and was bullied until Form 2. My second child, in 2024, endured bullying that led to hospitalisation and police involvement,” she said.
“Now, my third child has just entered Form 1 this year, and is already facing similar bullying.
“It has been an emotional and exhausting experience for us. We trusted the school to keep our children safe, but the repeated incidents were brushed aside,” she told Sarawak Tribune.
Despite reporting the incidents to school officials, including the principal and discipline teachers, she felt they had not responded accordingly.
She claimed that one teacher even stated, “I handle thousands of students, not just your child.”
“They just said it was normal for children to be rough with each other. Eventually, my child could no longer stand it and had to leave the dormitory,” Syahada added.
In response to these allegations, Sagah, who is also the local assemblyman, assured that the matter would be investigated further.
“The postings are serious allegations. I have requested the Sarawak Education Department to investigate and take appropriate actions.
“So far, we have not yet received any news,” he told Sarawak Tribune.
Meanwhile, the school when contacted confirmed that the department has commenced its investigation.
