She said Azam Ahmad’s comment was not meant to suggest the ministry or schools had tried to hide wrongdoing, but rather that some issues were already known to teachers, school administrators, counsellors or education offices.

However, she said many of these cases were not viewed as serious, leading to no immediate action being taken.

Fadhlina said her ministry is reviewing its procedures to ensure that the earliest signs of problems in schools are quickly addressed.

Azam yesterday warned schools against covering up bullying and sexual misconduct, which he said should be immediately addressed as they are criminal offences.

Fadhlina said this in her response to Salamiah Nor (PN-Temerloh), who had asked about what the education ministry is doing to ensure incidents like the recent school gang rape in Melaka do not recur.

Jalaludin Alias (BN-Jelebu) then said that as 15% of schoolchildren suffer from poor mental health, the education ministry should engage psychiatrists to help manage the issue, warning it could become a “ticking time bomb”.

Fadhlina said the ministry has ordered schools to focus on mental health through regular screening.

“We will carry out screenings twice a year. We will check for signs of depression and, if needed, refer the child to the health ministry,” she said, adding parents must cooperate with schools when interventions take place.

Fadhlina said there is already a “safe school” framework based on four ministry circulars issued from 2000 to 2023, but immediate reforms are now underway to make it more effective.

She said as part of immediate improvements to procedures, her ministry will review all safety measures every 15 days with input from school leaders.

“The five main focuses are mental health, reproductive and social education to prevent sexual violence, child protection, teacher care, and student voices,” she said.

Fadhlina also said character building will form the core of the new curriculum in 2027, starting with preschools next year.