NUTP To Sue Parent For False Accusation

The National Union of the Teaching Profession is standing firm on its decision to sue a parent in Kedah who had allegedly made a false accusation against a teacher. NUTP secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng yesterday said the lawyer appointed by the union is filing a suit against the parent.

This despite comments by Deputy Education Minister Datuk Noh Omar on Sept 6, advising the union to settle the matter out of court. It was reported that Noh had expressed his concern over what he described as an “unhealthy development”, saying that suing would only affect the parent- teacher relationship.

Noh had also said the ministry was willing to be the moderator in the discussion, saying a legal suit should only be a last resort.

Lok told The Malay Mail that it was a unanimous decision by the union’s work committee, and that it had liaised with the school and the teacher involved. “We are going ahead with the suit, unless Datuk Noh is willing to be the moderator for the case.”

Lok, however, refused to reveal which case the union was referring to. She said she would discuss further with the lawyer on the matter. “We decided to proceed as the parent had gone to the media and made false accusations against the teacher and the school.”

Lok was reported on Sept 4 as saying that the parent did not check the facts and did not lodge a complaint through the proper channel, including the Education Ministry, before going to the media. She had said that filing a suit against parents who go to the media without checking the facts was “a way of protecting the teachers’ rights. Such acts (of making false accusations) would disrupt lessons and traumatise innocent teachers,” Lok was reported as saying.

She had also advised parents to complain to school authorities and to the Education Ministry if necessary. Lok had said the parents should only highlight complaints in the media if they have been treated unfairly while lodging complaints with the authorities.

Those interviewed in a street poll last month urged the union to drop plans to sue parents. Most of them feared that legal action would encourage misconduct among teachers. (The Malay Mail)

***** The NUTP should go ahead and sue the parent for defamation if the complaint he/she had made was unfounded. What is the deputy education minister trying to prove by acting as an apologist for the erring parent? It's simply because these idiotic politicians suck up to some of these parents that they prefer to place all the blame on teachers without fulfilling their responsibilities as parents. Blaming teachers it seems is easier than blaming themselves or the indisciplined bastards they call children.