TEACHERS TO GET CHILD LAW TRAINING - Mandatory Reporting and Anti-Bullying Legal Guidance

Aug 13, 2026

Education Ministry legal training for principals, teachers, and legal counsel is being rolled out with the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department and supported by the National Legal Academy. The programme focuses on schools’ legal responsibilities in everyday interactions with children, including mandatory reporting obligations in cases such as child sexual abuse, and guidance on handling bullying that may involve verbal, mental, or workplace-related practices. It also outlines considerations for punitive measures, rehabilitation, and the review of mandatory caning sentences.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

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Teachers’ legal training rollout

Mandatory reporting and school liability

Bullying definitions and handling

Rehabilitation versus punishment

Review of mandatory caning sentences

SEKTOR DOKUMENTASI PENDIDIKAN BPPDP,Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia Aras SB-4,Blok E8,Kompleks E. Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan 62604 Putrajaya. Tel :03-88846425 Faks:03-88846284 TARIKH:28 OGOS 2025(KHAMIS)BERITA HARIAN□UTUSAN M'SIA N.STRAITS TIMETHE STAR□SINAR HARIAN□ # TEACHERS TO GETCHILD LAW TRAINING HAZWEEN HASSAN,NOR AIN MOHAMED RADHIAND LUQMAN HAKIMPUTRAJAYA Azalina said this outreachwould help schools respond ap-propriately to issues involvingstudents,including mandatoryreporting obligations in casessuch as child sexual abuse. ① news@nst.com.my NS728·8·2025 P4.2 HE Education Ministrywill work with the LegalAffairs Division of thePrime Minister's Depart-ment to roll out legal training forprincipals,teachers and counsel- She said that bullying is notconfined to schools or to physicalharm. “Bullying can also involve ver-bal and mental abuse,or evenworkplace practices,such aswithholding promotions or as- signing unfairtasks. Minister in the Prime Minis-ter's Department (Law and Insti-tutional Reform)Datuk Seri Aza-lina Othman Said said the ini-tiative will be supported by theNational Legal Academy througha memorandum of understand-ing.She said this at the division'smonthly assembly yesterday. "Bullying cases involving chil- She said the programme is de-signed to ensure that schools,which interact with children dai-ly,are aware of their legal respon-sibilities. "For example,under Section 19of the Sexual Offences AgainstChildren Act,school administra-tors and principals must knowthat if there is under-reporting,the school and principal can beheld liable if it is found that achild shows signs of distress,"shesaid. "The aim is to ensure that lawson bullying,sexual violence andchildren's rights are better un-derstood at the school level,where children spend most oftheir time.” dren might require a different ap- proach,focusing more on reha- bilitation than punishment.” She said punitive measuresshould be a last resort when itcomes to children. Azalina had said the govern-ment was studying whether a tri-bunal was needed to deal withbullying cases more effectivelyespecially those involving minors.③ Prime Minister Datuk Seri An-war Ibrahim had said the cabinetwould study the proposal. On another matter yesterdayAzalina said in a parliamentarywritten reply that a study on theeffectiveness of mandatory can-ingsentences was underway. She said the Legal Affairs Di-vision of the Prime Minister's De-partment is coordinating thestudy through a new sub-com-mittee on the Review of the Abo-lition of Mandatory WhippingSentences. The committee will present itsreport and recommendations tothe Criminal Law Reform Com-mittee for review. The recommendations willthen be presented to the deputyminister and minister in thePrime Minister's Department(Law and Institutional Reform) for policy consideration beforebeing submitted to the cabinet.4 Azalina was responding to S.Kesavan(PH-Sungai Siput),whoasked whether the governmentintended to reform judicial whip-ping,following the death of aninmate at Taiping Prison last yearafter receiving the punishment. She said the move was in linewith the Madani government'sprinciples of humanity,justiceand accountability. She said no comprehensive o1in-depth study had ever been conducted in Malaysia or otherAsean countries on the effective-ness of caning sentences in pre-venting repeat offences. A special meeting on the Re-view of the Abolition of Manda-tory Whipping Sentences washeld on June 23,chaired by thedeputy minister in the PrimeMinister's Department (Law andInstitutional Reform). It also involved the Prisons De-partment,Home Ministry,Health Ministry,Office of theChief Registrar of the FederalCourt,police,Human RightsCommission of Malaysia and theBar Council. During the meeting,variousviews and suggestions were pre-sented.They included concernsabout the long-term impact ofcaning and the need for a studyon the effectiven

FAQs

What is the purpose of the legal training for teachers and principals?

The initiative aims to ensure schools better understand laws on bullying, sexual violence, and children’s rights, and to clarify legal responsibilities for staff who interact with children daily.

Which obligation related to child sexual abuse is highlighted for schools?

Under Section 19 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act, school administrators and principals must know that under-reporting can lead to liability if a child shows signs of distress.

How does the document describe bullying and where it can occur?

Bullying is not confined to schools or physical harm; it can include verbal and mental abuse, as well as workplace practices such as withholding promotions or signing unfair tasks.

Aug 13, 2026

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