No more white shoes for schoolchildren

SHAH ALAM: The days of cleaning and scrubbing white school shoes will be a thing of the past soon after the Education Ministry allows all schoolchildren to wear black shoes during the school session next year.

Its minister Dr Maszlee Malik said the decision was made after the ministry took into consideration the views of parents and guardians it received after he took over the helm.

“Many parents, especially mothers, voiced this out, so from next year, the ministry will allow all students to use black shoes,” he said in a talk show “Program Bicara Minda Bersama Menteri Pendidikan” (A Discussion with the Education Minister) yesterday.

Maszlee said the decision to allow schoolchildren to wear black shoes was one of the innovations which will be implemented by the ministry to ensure that parents once again choose to send their children to national schools to study.

“Other innovations which we will introduce are ensuring lighter school bags for the students, improving the school curriculum so that the students of national schools are of international standard, and giving the teaching profession back to the teachers, which means that they will no longer be burdened with tasks other than teaching,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a press conference held after the programme, Maszlee said the ministry will get more information from the District Education Office (PPD) about the teachers of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Ketereh, Kelantan who put up a banner in the school compounds urging the Kelantan State Education Department to transfer the school principal.

“They could be demonstrating as a last resort to voice out their dissatisfaction, and I hope the PPD will not penalise those involved in the incident,” he said.

However, he said, such actions are not encouraged as there are proper channels for the teachers to voice their unhappiness with the school head.

“The teachers must try to resolve their problems like a family first, if that does not succeed, they can take it to the next level, to the PPD and ministry,” he said.

Commenting on the order that the school principal be transferred to the PPD, Maszlee said it was standard procedure as she was under investigation.