The Education Ministry is strengthening school safety audits, mental health support and emergency preparedness following recent student incidents.
PETALING JAYA: Serious school incidents should not be treated as safety cases alone, as they may also involve students’ psycho-emotional and mental conditions, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek told the Dewan Rakyat today.
She said each case would be examined separately, as different factors could be involved, while school safety audits and monitoring must continue to be strengthened.
“Every case that occurs will be examined separately because it involves many factors, and not only safety issues alone, but also the psycho-emotional and mental conditions of the children involved.
“I agree that audits and monitoring must continue to be strengthened at the Education Ministry level,” she said.
Fadhlina was replying to Roslan Hashim (PN-Kulim Bandar Baharu), who raised concerns over a student who died after falling from the third floor of a school in Sendayan and a Year Five pupil who fell from a school building in Batu Berendam, Melaka.
Roslan asked what immediate action had been taken to address parents’ concerns, including safety audits, emergency drills, intervention for high-risk schools and maintenance of school facilities.
Fadhlina said the ministry was not carrying out school safety monitoring alone, as a committee had been established to incorporate views from relevant agencies and organisations.
She said the ministry also received support from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on matters related to buildings, drains and fire safety.
“For example, we receive full support from NIOSH and its expertise to ensure that issues related to buildings, drains and fire safety are given proper guidance and training, so that safety coordinators are established at school level,” she said.
Earlier, Fadhlina said the ministry placed student safety, wellbeing and protection as a priority across all education institutions under its supervision.
She said the ministry’s approach covered prevention, monitoring, reporting, intervention and enforcement, supported by cooperation with other ministries and agencies.
She said the Safe School Management Guidelines and Student Protection Policy, launched on June 11, serve as the main reference for schools to strengthen students’ physical, social and emotional safety.
Fadhlina said measures include regular emergency drills involving fire, building evacuation and crisis management, as well as focused assistance visits by state and district education offices to schools identified as high risk.
She said the ministry was also establishing occupational safety and health coordinators in every school, with a target of at least one trained coordinator per school.
Fadhlina said safety measures in boarding schools had been strengthened, with CCTV installation expanded from 200 boarding schools in 2025 to 333 schools in 2026.
This is in addition to the appointment of 300 hostel complaint assistants from April 1 this year to strengthen student monitoring at night.
