‘Muslim-Only’ SPM Workshop Controversy Solved Amicably, Says School’s PTA
The Parent-Teacher Association of SMK Infant Jesus Convent in Johor said all communications and planning regarding similar programmes will be communicated transparently in the future.
Subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest stories and updates.
Previously, there was an uproar regarding an SPM workshop that was allegedly for Muslim students only of SMK Infant Jesus Convent in Johor Bahru.
An investigation by the Education Ministry (MoE) found that there was no conscious element of racial discrimination against SPM candidates but the matter was communicated poorly by the school.
READ MORE: Did A Johor School Exclude Non-Muslim Students For Its SPM Workshop?
The school’s parent-teacher association (PTA) said the controversy has come to an amicable conclusion.
Lessons have been learned and the school’s principal Ande Noor Munawarah Bachok promised that the flow of information would be transparent and made known to all moving forward.
The PTA said everyone involved had apologised and was accepted by the committee.
In a statement, the PTA also shared details of its findings and the measures needed to avoid such a situation again.
The PTA found that there was no due process in the approval and organisation of the SPM workshop, which was held only for Muslim students at a hotel on 19 and 20 January.
The workshop was separated into a series so as not to disturb students who are celebrating Chinese New Year.
The workshop was planned when the performance of Malay students in the trial exams was concerning and the school didn’t want the poor performance to affect the school’s overall SPM performance.
Unfortunately, the PTA committee members were not informed about the programme that was conducted in cooperation with the Johor Bahru district education department (PPD).
Based on reports, the SPM workshop did not only cover Islamic topics but also Chemistry and Additional Mathematics.
The PTA also added that two more programmes were organised on 26 and 27 January, with the first held in the school for all Form 5 students, while the second one at a hotel was for 21 students who had failed or ‘near misses’ in their exams.
Sadly, the due process was again forgotten regarding the organisation of the 27 January programme.
The improved, next steps to be taken
For future reference, the organising and staging of such events and programmes, right from the initial planning stages, will be forwarded to all PTA members.
The SMK IJ Convent WhatsApp chat group will be completely transparent, with guidelines on ethical communication within the group made known to all.
SMK Infant Jesus Convent Johor Bahru PTA
The PTA committee will also ensure that all future school events or programmes will be conducted fairly and equally for all students, heeding the call made by the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.
Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
