Education must continue to be provided to children living behind prison walls as they too deserve an opportunity to change their lives, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said.
She stressed that past mistakes should not determine a person’s entire future, adding that everyone should be given the space and opportunity to make a positive change.
“Do not let one dark chapter determine the entire story of our lives,” she said in a Facebook post today.
Fadhlina recalled that Kajang Women’s Prison was once a place she regularly visited while carrying out her duties as a lawyer and community activist.
“Yesterday, I returned, but this time to meet children who are taking part in the Hijrah Kasih programme,” she said.
She said her visits to Integrity Schools and Henry Gurney Schools had repeatedly reminded her that people can make mistakes, but they can also change. However, meaningful change requires someone to be given an opportunity.
“That is why education must continue to be present wherever our children are. Even behind prison walls, they still have the right to receive an education,” she said.
Fadhlina also highlighted that children enrolled in schools within prisons had demonstrated their potential by achieving a 100 per cent pass rate in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination in several recent years.
“While the past cannot be changed, what we choose to do from this point onwards remains in our hands,” she said.
She expressed hope that the Hijrah Kasih programme would continue providing children with a pathway to move beyond their mistakes, giving them hope and ultimately the opportunity to build a better life.
