Suhakam: Other avenues to register kids without official papers

 KUALA LUMPUR: Children without official documentation can still attend school and sit for public exams as there are ways to register them.

However, Suhakam commissioner Muhammad Sha'ani Abdullah said not only parents but school teachers were also not aware of the process, resulting in many children being barred from classes and not allowed to sit for examinations.

“Our investigations revealed that this problem is prevalent in rural areas and Orang Asli communities. Last year, more than 2,000 Orang Asli children who reached schooling age did not attend classes,” he said yesterday, adding that in 2007, over 7,000 orang asli children between six to 12 years old had never attended school.

He added that the students could be registered using another document, where a penghulu (village chief) or other certified community leader could verify their status.
The commission had last month submitted to the Education Ministry a list of 18 issues regarding child education that contravened the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
They were based on the findings of a three-month tour by the independent statutory body to hear public complaints. Among the issues were lack of documentation and basic school facilities, untrained teachers and hostel wardens.

Suhakam's education officer Hasmah Abdul Manaf said the commission's investigations revealed that teachers in some schools for children with special needs were not properly trained.
“At one school for the deaf, only four of 52 teachers were familiar with sign language. Teachers had to learn on their own instead of being trained before they began work,” she said.
Hasmah believed that teachers who were being considered for transfer to such schools should possess the required communication skills.