Name the schools, education minister says on period spot checks

Education Minister Radzi Jidin today urged members of the public to name the schools where period spot checks were said to have taken place, in the wake of reports that female students in the country have had to undergo such checks by teachers.

He also said he had asked his officers to check which schools were involved, adding however that they were unable to find any in specific.

“People can talk, but give us the details. For example, in the SMK Bentara Luar case, we came out with a statement,” he said, referring to a school in Batu Pahat, Johor, which was found to be segregating co-curricular activities based on race and gender.

“If you can tell me which school, then I will go drill down (the school),” Radzi said at a press conference today.

“People out there are saying that this happens without specifying – then everyone can talk,” he added.

He assured that his ministry would conduct an investigation and issue an explanation as soon as those who reported the issue inform the ministry which schools are involved.

“The ministry has never allowed such a practice. It does not make sense,” he said.

“If we need to make an explanation, we will make an explanation, but we will come out with substance.”

It was recently reported that girls in some schools had had to undergo checks to ensure that they were not using periods as an excuse to skip prayers.

This sparked strong condemnation from many, with former deputy education minister Teo Nie Ching demanding that Radzi and his deputies take steps to address the issue.

In another development, Radzi said his ministry is conducting an inquiry into the case of a teacher who made a rape joke, adding that the matter is under police investigation.

A secondary school student had claimed in a TikTok video on April 24 that a physical education teacher had made jokes about rape during a class on sexual harassment.