1. Although the discipline of female pupils is good at present, there is need for a partnership between the home, school and community to prevent any deterioration in discipline. This was the key thrust of the recommendations of the Committee on Discipline of Female Pupils.

2. The Ministry of Education has been tracking the state of discipline in schools since 1995. The general state of discipline in schools from 1995 to 1997 has been good. In keeping with this trend, the discipline of female pupils has been generally positive. Nevertheless, there has been a slight rise in the offence rate of female secondary school pupils.

3. The Committee on Discipline of Female Pupils, chaired by Senior Minister of State for Education, Dr Aline Wong, was set up in Apr 98 to review the state of discipline of female pupils in secondary schools. Comprising representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Community Development, Singapore Police Force and schools, the Committee was tasked to look into a gradual rise of discipline cases among secondary school girls, and to recommend appropriate policies and measures to address concerns over the low but rising offence rates of female pupils.

4. Although the discipline problem among female pupils is currently not a serious one, the minor offences committed by female pupils could be symptomatic of more serious problems such as involvement in gangs or a loss of parental control. There is a need to look at the female discipline problem specifically because, while the broad strategies for dealing with offences among pupils are similar, certain strategies could be more effective for managing discipline among female pupils.

5. The Committee is recommending that pro-active and multi-pronged measures be put in place to arrest the problem before it becomes a serious one. The recommended measures include equipping parents with skills to manage their children, encouraging parents to form parent support groups, increasing the pool of professional counsellors which schools can draw on, and encouraging schools, voluntary welfare organisations and self-help groups to come up with programmes to allow pupils to engage in healthy pursuits.

6. As the home, school and community play complementary roles in reinforcing values essential for good discipline, close collaboration among all three partners is essential. While schools continue to play their part in pupil management, parents and the community also play a critical role in providing the support and moral anchors for the proper upbringing and development of children.