KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14, 2015:
An allegation has surfaced that a public secondary school in Cheras near here has barred a new Form 3 student from entering class as she was wearing a baju kurung which the school claimed was against the dress code.
The student’s father, Lawrence Jayaraj, alleged that he was told by the school that only Malay Muslim students were allowed to wear baju kurung while non-Muslim and non-Malay students could not.
“I moved my kids from a school which was not on my way to work to one that was.
“Beginning this year, we bought baju kurung because it was never an issue before this,” he told The Rakyat Post.
He said when his daughter went to school, she was not allowed to attend classes and he had to rush back from work to pick her up on Monday, Tuesday and today.
He also said he had been unable to sort out the matter by talking to the senior assistant principal today who insisted the policy be upheld and told him to get Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (BR1M) aid and buy the uniforms with that.
Jayaraj, who works as a sale consultant, said the school’s principal was unavailable.
Jayaraj said the issue was a small matter, but it was unexpected and shocking.
“We already spent the money and school uniforms are not cheap. I have seven kids to look after.”
He said he would try and sort it out with the principal first before taking it outside the school.
In an immediate response, Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan, who had not been informed of the matter earlier advised parents to take such matters to the District Education Office.
“If the matter is not sorted out at the District Education Office, then take it to the State Education Office and it should be sorted out by then.
“If it is not sorted out by the time it reaches the state level, I will get involved,” pledged Kamalanathan.
He pointed out that there were some 10,000 schools under the ministry and sometimes principals made policies without checking with the ministry.
Meanwhile, The Rakyat Post had attempted to contact the school in question but has yet to receive a response.