Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email A survey is planned by Public Complaints Bureau to determine the number of pupils without birth certificates in primary schools, says Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator Datuk T. Murugiah.
He said he had received many complaints from parents and Parent-Teacher Associations that their children could not pursue secondary education as they did not have birth certificates.
Murugiah cited SJK (Tamil) Puchong where 16 pupils did not have birth certificates.
“This problem is rampant in many primary schools. I have instructed the bureau to send special forms to all schools so that they can tell us how many students don’t have birth certificates,” he said, adding the schools have one month to fill the forms and send them back to the bureau.
Its a good move. We hope to see the results of the survey and the follow-up actions, even if Murugiah may not around to see it in a month.
I remember last year, special task force were set up at NRD to facilitate identity document problems. Not sure what is the status of those task force now.
Even political party like MIC handles such cases, so one can wonder if the schools did not approach th party officials, since Tamil schools and MIC are very much intertwined.
Next question would be – is it the official responsibility of the school/HM/teacher to highlight such cases or can they just close two eyes? It should be a moral responsibility of course, but then, not many teachers/officials would have the time or know-how to handle such cases. And some may think that even the kids’ parents are not bothered or unable to do anything, so why should the teacher get involved.
