BUKIT MERTAJAM: A 13-year-old threatened to commit suicide after a basic computer test saw him getting placed in the last class at a school here.
The teenager's father informed that at noon yesterday, his son was removed from the class he was in and made to enter what he claimed as the last class for Form 1 students in the school after taking the test.
The father said his son had obtained 3As, 1B and 1C for his Standard 6 Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination last year and based on that, he was initially placed in the second class for Form 1 students.
"Previously, the teacher at his primary school told us our son would be placed in the top class when he enters this secondary school based on his UPSR results which were quite good.
"As soon as we registered him in this secondary school, he was placed in the second class. Later on, the management told him to take a basic computer test," the father said when contacted.
He added that being switched to the last class made his son feel humiliated and unhappy.
"When I picked him up from school yesterday, he looked sad and down. When he told me what happened, he threatened to commit suicide and refused to go to school.
"He was previously bullied in primary school and this makes him feel bullied again by the school," the father said, adding he wanted a detailed explanation from the school on the matter.
"I was never informed of a placement test until my son told me yesterday. If this is something important, parents should have been informed during the briefing session and via letter, not spring it suddenly like this," he said.
The father said he was upset that the school did not explain the matter to him in detail and had only repeated that the computer test was a requirement in all schools in Malaysia when asked.
"Infact they told me that UPSR results do not determine class placements. It is the basic computer test that determines that," he said.
However, the father added that the school had informed him they would be discussing the matter on Monday.
Meanwhile, he said he was determined to send his son to a different school after what happened.
"He deserves to be in the best class in Form 1 after he worked hard for UPSR, but the opposite happened," he said.
"I am worried he would do something negative and it would destroy his spirit," the father added, informing that a police report was lodged over the matter, in hopes of getting the matter referred to the Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) district education department.
Meanwhile a source from the State Education Department when asked to comment said they would investigate the matter, including getting an explanation from the school.