GENTING HIGHLANDS, Oct 28 – Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said co-curricular camping activities will not be stopped in future because they give much benefits to students.
However, he reminded the parties involved in organising co-curricular activities to “take a serious view on safety aspects” to avoid any fatal accidents.
“I think all camping activities should go ahead, otherwise the students have nothing to do. I feel that stopping the co-curricular activities will be bad for the students especially in terms of their (academic) achievements,” Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, told reporters after opening the Conference on New Developments in Education 2010-2012 at the Institut Aminuddin Baki (IAB), here today.
He was referring to th incident at about 10.30pm on Monday at the Co-Curriculum Centre of the Kinta District Education Office in Perak, in which a student drowned, two others were still missing while 19 students were rescued after the suspension bridge they were walking on collapsed.
They were among 298 students from 64 primary schools from Tronoh, Batu Gajah and Kampar who participated in the 1Malaysia camping programme at the centre.
Muhyiddin said the tragedy was the first fatal incident involving students taking part in the co-curricular activities and precautionary measures must be given serious consideration to prevent a recurrence.
Asked what would happen if parents refused to allow their children to participate in future co-curricular activities following the accident, Muhyiddin said the students would stand to lose as such activities had become an important element in developing the students’ character.
Meanwhile, he said the schools concerned should take appropriate action to claim compensation from the insurance companies as all the students involved were covered by insurance to participate in the programme.
Muhyiddin also ordered that the search and rescue operations for the two missing students to go on. – Bernama
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