Kindergarten Teacher Applauded For Brave Act, Sarawak Mulls Reward
A female teacher at Tabika Kemas Kampung Rajang, Sarawak, fought off a teenager believed to be on drugs to protect the children in her class.
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The Sarawak Ministry of Women, Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development is mulling a reward for a female teacher who protected kindergarten children from a teen running amok in Tanjung Manis on 13 June.
Its minister Fatimah Abdullah said the ministry would try to appropriately reward the courageous teacher at Tabika Kemas Kampung Rajang for protecting the nine children under her care.
On 13 June at around 8.20am, a 17-year-old boy believed to be under the influence of drugs entered the kindergarten compound and caused property damages.
He attempted to enter one of the classrooms, but the teacher, who recently gave birth, fought him off.
She was successful but sustained injuries to her hands, leg, and back.
The teenager was arrested and investigated under Sections 323 and 427 of the Penal Code.
Fatimah told The Borneo Post that the teacher is still traumatised when she recalls the incident.
The first thing that crossed her mind after the suspect entered the premises was to avoid him from endangering the children, and it was her top priority. This is the courage we should emulate and that should be recognised. This is in line with our desire to see our teachers who are very responsible at the nursery and preschool levels.
Fatimah Abdullah, Sarawak Minister of Women, Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development
Fatimah added that the incident was a wake-up call to improve safety inside and outside the school premises. The incident also showed the dangers of drug abuse in society and no one can assume that a peaceful rural area is violence-free.
When asked how the ministry will prevent similar incidents from occurring, Fatimah said it was an unexpected incident.
She said to ensure everyone’s safety, especially the children on the premises, some of the precautions taken include:
- Ensuring the premises comply with the safety aspects from technical agencies
- Screening their personnel to ensure they have no previous criminal records
- Some premises to install CCTV cameras
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