She posed this question in light of the case of an 11-year-old pupil from the school, who died in hospital today a few days after his legs were amputated.
The boy was alleged to have been beaten on the legs by an assistant warden of the school hostel and doctors had to amputate the boy’s legs on Friday after they became infected.
The assistant warden is now being remanded by police for investigations.
Teo said according to a 2003 ministry circular, school heads were allowed to cane students lightly for “moderate” or “severe” offences, “but only on the palm of the hand or on the buttocks over clothes”.
“Why were these guidelines not followed in this religious school?
“Whose duty is it to make sure that all educational institutions, whether public or private, follow the ministry guidelines?” the Kulai MP asked in a statement today.
The boy, Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gaddafi, died today at 2.06pm at Hospital Sultan Ismail in Johor Bahru, a week after being admitted for injuries to his legs.
Thaqif had been due for further surgery to amputate his right arm this morning, following the discovery that the limb had also turned necrotic. However, the surgery was postponed as his heart was not in a stable condition.
His aunt, Dzuraidah Ahmad, told FMT that Thaqif’s unstable heart condition could have caused his death.
Teo said under Section 29 of the Child Act 2001, childcare providers were obliged to report any abuse of a child, whether physical or emotional.
Pointing out that children who went to boarding schools spent most of their time there, she said wardens at such institutions were responsible for the health and well-being of the pupils.
They also had a duty to report any abuse or ill-treatment, she said.
“Why did none of the teachers, other wardens, or management staff notice the abuse that had been going on for goodness knows how long?
“Or were they aware of the abuse, but failed to stand up for the children?”
The beatings Thaqif was said to have received were not a one-off incident, she added, referring to the boy’s diary in which he had written of the alleged abuse.
She called for action to be taken against the assistant warden.
“The investigation must not stop here. The police should also investigate if the school management has failed in its statutory duty to report the abuse.
“Stern action must be taken against those who failed in their duty to report as voiceless children rely on responsible adults to speak up for them.”