Curriculum #4: Cikgu Azizan

Three months ago, a teacher named Azizan Manap was charged under the Penal Code for slapping a 11 year old pupil at SK Taman Semarak. Dubbed "Cikgu Azizan" by the press, he allegedly lost his temper with the student during an incident in April 2017. The case went viral on social media, the child's parents received death threats, and teachers showed up in force at the courthouse to provide their colleague moral support. The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) stood behind Azizan too and appointed a lawyer for his defence. 

NUTP’s Secretary-General Harry Tan Huat Hock shares his thoughts on the case to explain why NUTP took the stand it did and why teachers across the country felt so strongly about this incident. Sharmila Sekaran, chairperson of Voice of the Children, gives her take on the case from a child's right perspective and how such cases can be prevented in the future.