Malaysia teacher accused of locking up primary school student in makeshift metal cage as punishment

‘It if happens to my child, I will be angry. I will report this matter to the district education office’

A parent in Malaysia has alleged that a primary school teacher locked a student in a metal cage as punishment (@AzuanMekanik / Twitter)

A parent in Malaysia alleged that his son’s school teacher locked a primary school student in a metal cage as punishment for bad behaviour.

The distressing incident has come to light in Negri Sembilan, where a parent – who wanted to be identified only as Azuan – alleged on social media that his seven-year-old son’s school teacher locked a student in a metal cage as punishment for bad behaviour.

According to local media, the incident took place on Tuesday in a school located in Rembau and involved a student who is friends with Mr Azuan’s son.

Parents and teachers were notified through a WhatsApp group about the child’s behaviour in class, it was reported. The child was allegedly disruptive in class and refused to be quiet, according to The Star.

Mr Azuan also shared screenshots of the WhatsApp conversation between the parents and teachers on Twitter. In one message, a teacher confirmed that the child had indeed been placed in a makeshift cage so as to separate him from his classmates.

“Yes sir, I did place him there,” the teacher replied in the group chat.

Mr Azuan said that “it is irresponsible to keep the child in a cage, he is just in Year One. They are still small. “At that age, they are expected to be naughty sometimes, but it should not be a reason to lock them up. There are other reasonable methods.”

The incident was also confirmed by the police.

Rembau police chief deputy superintendent Hazri Mohamad told The Star that the 43-year-old teacher punished the boy by locking him up in an enclosure which was actually an exhibition area for the school’s Drug Prevention Society.

The parent revealed on his social media that his own son’s enthusiasm to go to school has been curbed due to the caging incident.

He also alleged that there was a fuse inside the cage. “The children are not only placed in a ‘metal cage’ but there is a fuse box inside it. It is dangerous. I don’t know what will happen if the children play with it.

“It if happens to my child, I will be angry. I will report this matter to the district education office.”

His tweet, at the time of writing this report, had more than one million views.

Mr Mohamad told The Star that a meeting was held at the school on 28 June and the issue was resolved.

“Present at the meeting were representatives from the district Education Department, the school and the victim’s family.

“The father accepted the teacher’s explanation and has forgiven him,” he said in a statement.

He said police did not receive any report on the matter.