Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Education (a) whether teachers are sufficiently equipped with the knowledge and skills to identify and manage bullying, especially in cases where victims do not report incidents; and (b) what measures are in place to ensure schools have adequate trained personnel, such as counsellors and disciplinary staff, to support teachers and students in handling bullying cases.
Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Education how are schools helping students who are bullied to restore their confidence and rebuild their identity and self-worth.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Education (a) what steps are taken by the Ministry and schools to prevent occurrences of bullying incidents in schools; (b) what is the level of collaboration between schools and the Singapore Police Force in cases where the bullying of students happen outside of the schools; and (c) whether there are adequate monitoring and surveillance to pick up early indications of bullying situations and what are the pre-emptive and preventive measures.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Education (a) in each year of the past five years, how many reports has the Ministry received regarding incidents of bullying that occurred within or outside of school premises; and (b) in view of the recent bullying incidents at an Institute of Technical Education campus, a secondary school and a primary school, whether the Ministry currently has in place an anti-bullying policy at all schools.
Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Education (a) what specific criteria are used to determine whether an incident is to be classified as bullying that warrants action to be taken by the educational institution; (b) whether the Ministry has conducted any recent surveys among students to assess the prevalence of bullying in schools; and (c) what are the interventions and support provided to teachers to help them deal with bullying cases in the course of their work.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry tracks the number of reported bullying cases in schools; (b) if so, what is the number of bullying cases in each year of the last five years; (c) if not, why not; and (d) what resources and policies are being put in place in schools to enhance the detection, reporting and correction of bullying cases.
Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has observed a rising trend in bullying cases involving school students; and (b) how can the Ministry better prevent bullying of school students and support victims of bullying.
Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Education (a) in the last five years, what are the observed trends relating to the number of bullying cases schools have received; (b) what is the breakdown between online and offline bullying incidents reported to schools; and (c) whether there are any special guidelines given or approaches taken for cases of bullying involving students with neurodiverse conditions or disabilities and, if so, what are they.
The Minister for Education (Mr Chan Chun Sing): Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 20 to 28, please.
Mr Speaker: Yes, you may.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Mr Speaker, Sir, my response will address the questions raised by Members Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, Dr Wan Rizal, Mr Christopher de Souza, Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song, Mr Yip Hon Weng, Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis, Ms Hany Soh and Ms He Ting Ru on the bullying incidents in schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), that recently caught public attention on the Internet.
My response will also cover related questions from Ms Hazel Poa, Mr Sharael Taha, Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, which are scheduled for subsequent Sittings.
Mr Speaker: Alright. Minister, I think you mentioned Question No 28. But it stops at Question No 27.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Sir, my apologies, till Question No 27.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) takes a serious view of all forms of hurtful behaviour, from once-off insensitive remarks to more persistent, intentional acts of bullying and even physical violence. Schools and IHLs have rules and regulations which prohibit any form of bullying. Our schools and IHLs educate students against these negative behaviours and work with families, the community and partners to intervene promptly and address them.
Members Ms Hany Soh, Mr Gerald Giam, Mr Louis Chua asked about the trends in bullying incidents. In the last five years, the average number of bullying incidents has remained steady. For every 1,000 students, there were an average of two incidents in primary schools and six incidents in secondary schools annually for any form of bullying, both within and outside of school. Of these, incidents involving the use of technology averaged less than one incident per 1,000 secondary students and even fewer in primary schools each year.
Members Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim and Dr Wan Rizal asked about how MOE educates our students and equips them to deal with threats of bullying. From young, students learn pro-social behaviours through lessons and role-modelling. Through the Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum and a school environment that emphasises values and respect, students acquire skills to be kind to their classmates, resolve disagreements respectfully and stand up against bullying.
Students learn what to do when they encounter unsafe situations. Stay calm, do not retaliate, but move away and seek help from adults nearby, and alert their teachers and parents. These lessons extend to the cyberspace. Through cyber wellness lessons, students learn to be respectful and responsible users online. Whether online or offline, they should report any incident of bullying to their teachers or School Leaders.
As students sometimes prefer to turn to their friends for support, schools have established peer support networks and trained students to help and look out for one another, and in conflict management.
These educative efforts continue in our IHLs, which raise awareness about anti-bullying through modules teaching respect and appropriate behaviour, as well as peer support structures.
Members Mr Yip Hon Weng, Ms Hazel Poa, Mr Christopher de Souza and others asked about the intervention and support for bullying victims and perpetrators, and how schools collaborate with families, community partners and Police to address them. Teachers are trained to create a positive classroom culture, recognise distressed students, and proactively address hurtful behaviours and bullying. All pre-service teachers receive this training, and new teachers are supported by experienced staff and school counsellors. In-service teachers also receive refresher training as part of their professional development.
When any incident of bullying within or outside schools is reported, schools and IHLs conduct thorough investigations before deciding on the appropriate course of action. We adopt a tiered approach based on the severity of incident. In cases arising from careless remarks and misunderstandings, teachers guide students to resolve their differences and reach a common understanding. For cases involving persistent, intentional acts of bullying, serious disciplinary actions are taken in addition to the restorative actions. For cyber bullying incidents, schools guide students to report these to the online service provider. When schools and IHLs come to know of any incident of severe bullying or fights, they work closely with parents and the authorities to ensure students' well-being and safety. They also mete out the necessary disciplinary consequences and guide students to change their thinking and behaviours so that they can learn to be responsible members of the community.
Similarly, our schools and IHLs consider the seriousness of the incident and take into consideration the profile and needs of the students involved, when taking disciplinary actions. Schools may put perpetrators on detention or even suspend them from attending lessons. Caning is used as a last resort for boys and carried out in an appropriate manner only by authorised adults. For severe bullying or fights, a Police report will be made and perpetrators will face legal consequences in accordance with the law.
Whenever a student is affected by bullying, whether as a victim or perpetrator, the teachers and school counsellors provide emotional support to help the student cope and mend relationships. Students who continue to be distressed will be referred to community resources such as the Response, Early Intervention and Assessment in Community mental Health (REACH) teams for more specialised support.
The objective of these educative and restorative efforts is to help students learn from their mistakes. These efforts are taken to turn the bully around, rather than just "expelling" or suspending them from school. When relationships are affected due to conflicts and misconduct, schools and institutions take steps to educate, discipline and restore relationships in the school community, and these efforts require parents' support and partnership.
Parental guidance and partnerships are vital in shaping children's character. Parents guide their children by role-modelling positive behaviour and interaction with others. When a child faces bullying, parents are encouraged to remain calm and provide emotional support, reinforcing pro-social values and coping skills. Similarly, when a child has bullied someone, parents can guide their child to learn from the mistake, apologise sincerely and make amends. As mending relationships and improving behaviour require time and practice, parents are encouraged to collaborate closely with schools to address the situation effectively.
When students witness bullying incidents, they are reminded not to record and share the incidents online to avoid further hurting the parties involved. Similarly, when videos become viral, everyone should exercise care in responding to them. Circulating such materials, trying to doxx the student perpetrators or calling for them to be ostracised, could isolate them even more, drive them to extremes and make it harder for them to mend their ways. The bullying perpetrators often also need help to turn over a new leaf. As a society, we must be careful not to normalise such behaviours unintentionally. Let us stand together to discourage copycats and attempts to out-viral the last bullying video.
MOE will continue to work with schools to share good practices and review the strategies to manage bullying. We will continue to update these education and intervention measures and partner parents to create caring and safe learning environments for our students.
I thank Members of Parliament and members of the public for showing their concern about this issue. With your help to monitor community and online spaces to keep our students safe and to stop bullying incidents among students when you witness them, we will be that village that raises our children well.
Finally, Mr Speaker, Sir, bullying is a multi-faceted issue that defies one-size-fits-all solutions. It requires a nuanced approach that carefully considers the well-being and reform of both victims and perpetrators. We all hold the power and duty to support each other and to foster an environment where healing and change are possible. We want to steer clear of actions that might hinder or deny a perpetrator's chance for rehabilitation, such as counter-productive social media behaviours. True justice blends punishment with rehabilitation.
