KOTA KINABALU: A child’s success in education continues to be critically influenced by parental encouragement and support at home as well as involvement in school.
Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid said parents’ focus on their children’s education was often compromised by new challenges brought by the ever developing world.
However, she warned that action could be taken on parents who disregarded Malaysia’s policy of mandatory education for children under 15 years old.
“It is an offence for parents not to send their children to school and action can be taken against them,” Jainab said, adding that the government’s policy was for the protection of the future generation.
“I also want to share with everyone the inclusion of parents displaying acts of negligence towards their children under the Child Act next year,” she added.
Therefore, the people should always be reminded to stay on the right path and ensure that they do not let their jobs get in the way of their responsibilities as parents, said Jainab.
“All this while, we assume parental involvement with their children’s learning at school happens naturally,” said the minister.
“But the changing times and current challenges call for a concerted and determined effort through a method that needs to be done by all levels of society in order to contribute to our children’s success.
“As parents, we also need to reflect on whether it is adequate or sufficient to delegate the responsibility to teachers and schools solely. Parents need to ensure that the efforts initiated in schools will continue when the students are back at home,” she said when officiating at SMK Likas Student Excellence Award (MAKeP) 2015 closing ceremony at the Sabah Federal Government Administration Complex here yesterday.
SMK Likas also celebrated its school teachers along with the outstanding state, national and international level performance of students in the school.
The SMK Likas ‘Anugerah Pengetua’ (Principal Award) 2015 was nabbed by 17-year-old Nur Yasmin Zaidi.
The aspiring pharmacist from Negeri Sembilan scored 10A’s in SPM last year and portrayed outstanding academic as well as curriculum performance annually, despite relocating from Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Pahang and Sabah with her family over the years.
Among those present at the ceremony were SMK Likas principal Naelah Mustaffa and PIBG head Mustaffa Jaffar.