By Sujatha Balakrishna

Malaysia has recently been shaken by a series of unimaginable tragedies, events that we could never have envisioned in the 1980s or 1990s.

All within the walls of our very own national schools. Schools which were once considered the safest places for children, have now become scenes of trauma and fear.

Who is to be blamed? What has happened to the basic ethics and moral values we once instilled in our children? Perhaps this is not the time to point fingers, but rather the time to deeply analyse the root cause and craft long-term solutions.

In the past, we had guru disiplin (discipline teachers) who conducted spot checks and enforced discipline, sometimes even with the cane to maintain order and respect.

Today, however, teachers who attempt to discipline students risk being reported to the police as some parents refuse to accept any form of correction.

It seems that children have become too fragile to be reprimanded, perhaps a reflection of a generation softened by comfort and unhealthy habits.

This may sound harsh or even sarcastic, but we must face the truth. Parenting, to a large extent, has failed.

It is time we look honestly at where these problems began and, more importantly, how we begin to set them right.

1) Moral values begin at home

Children learn by observing and imitating what they see and hear from early age.

Although external influences such as peers and media do play a role, parents remain the primary figures responsible for guiding and monitoring their children’s actions and behaviour.

Parents must set a positive example by acting responsibly, speaking politely and, most importantly, treating the women in the household with dignity and respect. Parental supervision is especially crucial for children under the age of 18.

Granting them excessive freedom such as private rooms and unrestricted access to gadgets can be risky.

Children’s online activities, including what they do on social media, which website they visit, the games they play and the amount of time they spend on the internet, should be closely monitored.

Instead of allowing children to isolate themselves behind closed doors, parents should encourage more family time and outdoor activities. Such engagement not only strengthens family bonds but also helps to prevent mental health issues such as stress, anxiety and depression.

2) Schools should prioritise education and not freedom or comfort

Like it or not, schools also should take responsibility to correct the behaviour of students.

Schools should have tighter rules about the use of phones and gadgets. Smartphones need to be completely banned or kept by the school authorities during lessons and collected after school ends.

Students are being given too much freedom even at school as wished by their parents.

Parents should stop pampering and glorifying their children by telling them they are precious and nobody should reprimand them, including teachers.

The discipline teacher has to be actively monitoring the student’s activities and caning has to be brought back to some extent.

Just like the good old days. Fear is a strong weapon to change children’s behaviour. Teachers need to be given the freedom to discipline students if parents fail to do so.

CCTV would help to monitor students’ movement to prevent any crime.

3) Ministry of Education / MCMC

Video / online games that contains excessive violence should be subject to strict restriction and platforms that repeatedly fail to protect young users (including TikTok) should face suspension because exposure to graphic violence can normalise harmful behaviour and put vulnerable adolescents at risk.

It is alarming to consider how a 16- or 17-year-old could come to contemplate sexual violence under such influences.

Reinstating structured disciplinary practices such as caning and early examinations, including UPSR and PMR, could play a role in improving students’ concentration, motivation and moral development.

When students grow up without the responsibility of preparing for important examinations, they may become overly carefree and disengaged from their studies.

This lack of focus can lead some to channel their energy into unhealthy or even dangerous activities such as bullying, sexual misconduct or violence.

The tragic incidents occurring among our youth serve as a wake-up call for all Malaysians.

It begins at home, where parents play the most crucial role in shaping character and guiding behaviour.

Discipline is not cruelty and moral education is not outdated. Only through collective effort and consistent guidance can we rebuild a generation that respects others, values life and upholds the true essence of humanity.

-- BERNAMA

Sujatha Balakrishna is a Senior Lecturer at Nilai University.