KOTA KINABALU: The Kota Kinabalu High Court's landmark decision in awarding RM90,000 in damages to three former students of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Taun Gusi in Kota Belud should serve as a lesson to all.

United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) president Datuk Ewon Benedick said it should teach everyone, including teachers, parents, and students, to carry out their respective duties.

"Teachers, parents and students have boundaries within their respective responsibilities that need to be implemented," said the Penampang member of parliament.

Ewon, who is also entrepreneur and cooperatives minister, was asked to comment on the case after at the launch of the Jom XCESS SME Bank Programme for Sabah region at a hotel here.

The three former SMK Taun Gusi students, now all 22, won a suit against a teacher, principal, the education minister and two others for refusing to teach English language to them for seven months in 2017.

"Teachers are responsible for being present and teaching. If they are not present, there must be an explanation that can be given.

"At the same time, students must also have the discipline to respect the teacher.

"If they need the teacher to provide services on a particular day, but the latter cannot come, then the students can ask their parents, who in turn can discuss with the parent-teacher association," he said.

Earlier, Ewon expressed his gratitude to SME Bank for donating RM25,000 to Sekolah Kebangsaan Pekan Pensiagan Komprehensif 9 for the construction of it school hall.

"I am confident that good infrastructure will contribute to quality learning, thus forming the foundation for the development of well-rounded human capital," he said.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/07/932896/court-decision-suit-against-absent-teacher-lesson-all-says-ewon