Management of Bullying in Schools

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Dr Wan Rizal, Jalan Besar GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education with regard to the recent Sengkang Green Primary bullying case, what further steps have the Ministry taken to strengthen anti-bullying measures and ensure timely support for both victims and perpetrators, including mental health resources.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr David Hoe, Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education whether the Ministry will consider (a) reviewing existing anti-bullying disciplinary and rehabilitation frameworks to render them more robust; (b) augmenting suspension-based punitive measures with in-school structured reflection, supervised work and restorative conferences, instead of home suspensions; (c) setting minimum competencies and staff-training hours to strengthen educators' capabilities to handle bullying; and (d) pilot cluster-level bullying support teams by counsellors/para-counsellors.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis, Sengkang GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) what is the framework for determining the extent of disciplinary measures to be taken against perpetrators of bullying incidents that have been reported in primary schools and secondary schools; (b) what are the follow-up measures that are taken to address the needs of victims and perpetrators; and (c) what is the Ministry’s assessment of the effectiveness of the measures.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Hany Soh, Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether there is a Ministry or cluster level framework in place on how schools should deal with bullying cases; and (b) whether the Ministry encourages schools to share and develop best practices of dealing with bullying cases amongst themselves.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Elysa Chen, Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) how quickly are teachers expected to investigate and take action after a report of bullying has been made; and (b) whether the Ministry’s protocols on bullying are followed throughout the process in the recent bullying incident at Sengkang Green Primary School.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Bukit Panjang

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether schools are adequately resourced to prevent the occurrences of bullying incidents in schools; (b) whether there are proactive monitoring and surveillance to pick up early signs of bullying situations; and (c) what further preventive measures can be taken.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo, East Coast GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) how will the Ministry equip schools and teachers to detect and respond to multifaceted forms of bullying; and (b) how will the Ministry ensure consistency and accountability of all parties across institutions.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Joan Pereira, Tanjong Pagar GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry will consider adopting more aspects of evidence-based anti-bullying programmes such as intervention teams; (b) what new measures are being considered to further empower victims and bystanders to report bullying incidents safely; and (c) whether there are plans to enhance support systems, such peer support groups, for students affected by bullying.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Elysa Chen, Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education how many reported school bullying cases in the past three years involved suspected or confirmed child maltreatment of either the perpetrator or victim of bullying, in light of the impact that a family environment has on a child’s behaviour.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Xie Yao Quan, Jurong Central

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry will consider setting up a centralised anti-bullying unit to support schools to investigate the most egregious cases of bullying and follow up with disciplinary and rehabilitative actions, so as to avoid overburdening teachers; and (b) if not, why not.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Yip Hon Weng, Yio Chu Kang

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) what are the established timelines for schools to investigate bullying incidents and to provide updates to the parents of involved students; and (b) what specific measures are implemented to separate the involved students during an investigation to ensure the victim's safety on school premises and prevent fear-based absenteeism or the need for a school transfer.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Dr Charlene Chen, Tampines GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) what resources are available to schools to detect and counter less visible forms of bullying such as manipulation, exclusion, and cyberbullying; (b) how does the Ministry support teachers in managing bullying cases; and (c) what measures beyond training are implemented to ensure teachers have the time and resources to address bullying without adding to their risk of burnout.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat, Aljunied GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether an annual School Safety Scorecard per school will be published with anonymised bullying report totals, substantiation percentages, numbers of suspensions, transfers and serious sanctions; (b) whether a national anonymous anti-bullying reporting line will be established with trained responders; and (c) whether the Ministry will mandate minimum anti-bullying policy standards across all schools.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms He Ting Ru, Sengkang GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education with regard to ongoing measures to address concerns associated with bullying or violence in schools (a) whether the Ministry works with external agencies and their experts to strengthen trauma-informed and victim-centric practices in schools, including with professionals with expertise outside of traditional educational settings; and (b) if so, how is the Ministry working with such agencies and their experts.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms He Ting Ru, Sengkang GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education when incidents of bullying or violence are reported in schools (a) whether there are investigation protocols for educators; (b) whether these are developed with child safety and violence-prevention experts; and (c) whether they can be published to enhance public awareness and understanding.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr David Hoe, Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) what are the new mandatory bully-reporting channels that schools will provide under the enhanced framework for discipline; (b) whether the Ministry will standardise these across schools and ensure their age-appropriateness; (c) what is the Ministry’s communication strategy to ensure students are cognisant of reporting channels; and (d) what are the safeguards in place to protect students who report bullying.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Elysa Chen, Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education for each year from 2020 to date (a) what are the annual rates per 1,000 primary students for (i) reported bullying incidents with a breakdown by types (ii) counselling referrals (iii) prolonged absenteeism related to anxiety or school refusal and (iv) suicide risk referrals; and (b) how do these data inform resourcing to support student well-being.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Mariam Jaafar, Sembawang GRC/p>

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) to date, what proportion of student bullying perpetrators (i) have completed disciplinary and rehabilitation programmes and (ii) are repeat cases; and (b) whether the Ministry will set national standards for disciplinary, rehabilitation and restorative interventions for perpetrators and victims involved in bullying in schools.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Yeo Wan Ling, Punggol GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education how will the Ministry work with the community and families in creating awareness on the prevention and identification of online harms and cyber bullying.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Foo Cexiang, Tanjong Pagar GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) in the past three years, how many cases of bullying are identified by teachers; (b) what is the specific training and support currently given to teachers to identify and manage bullying cases in the school; and (c) whether the Comprehensive Action Review against Bullying is studying how to better train and equip teachers to identify and manage bullying cases.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan, NCMP

Question

To ask the Minister for Education what upstream preventive measures are being taken to normalise help-seeking behaviours and strengthen mental health literacy among all students including teaching the students stress management and emotional regulation skills that address the underlying factors contributing to both bullying perpetration and victimisation.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song, Aljunied GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) how effective are the Ministry’s upstream measures in addressing bullying’s root causes; (b) how will the Character and Citizenship Education curriculum be reviewed to distinguish aggression from legitimate retaliation; (c) what measures ensure that children develop assertiveness and self-protection skills; and (d) how do schools teach students to stand up to bullies and foster a civic, caring society.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis, Sengkang GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) when was the last review of school policies on bullying and hurtful behaviours in schools made; (b) what were the outcomes of the review; (c) what is the targeted completion date of the current review; and (d) whether the full findings of the review will be made public.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Elysa Chen, Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) from 2020 to date, how many teachers and school leaders have received specialised training in recognising and intervening in bullying situations or when children show signs of distress; and (b) whether such training will be made mandatory.

Response

1. My response will also cover related oral and written questions filed both for earlier as well as subsequent Sittings from Mr Yip Hon Weng, Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Dr Charlene Chen, Mr Kenneth Tiong, Mr David Hoe, Mr Xie Yao Quan, Ms Joan Pereira, Ms Hany Soh, Dr Wan Rizal, Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo, Ms Mariam Jaafar, Ms He Ting Ru, Mr Gerald Giam, Ms Yeo Wan Ling, Mr Foo Cexiang, Ms Eileen Chong and Ms Elysa Chen. I invite Members to seek clarifications, if needed and thereafter, withdraw their questions for subsequent Sittings.
2. Sir, recent media and online reports of students engaging in hurtful or bullying behaviours towards others have renewed the spotlight on this issue. MOE places strong emphasis on providing a safe environment in our schools so that our students can learn, grow and thrive. We know that such incidents affect many people. Children who experience hurtful behaviour may worry about their safety and may find it hard to learn and build friendships. Parents love their children and naturally feel anxious and concerned about the children's well-being, whether they have been affected by bullying or have been themselves involved in hurting others. For our school leaders, teachers and school staff, these incidents require them to manage disruptive behaviours in order to restore discipline. They have to protect those affected, rebuild a safe learning environment and address and correct those involved in wrong behaviours. They seek to help our students learn from their mistakes while engaging with parents who might hold different perspectives on how schools ought to respond. Our approach seeks to provide practical support to help children learn better behaviour, give parents confidence in school responses and enable teachers to maintain caring and enabling learning environments for all students.
3. Let me first outline our approach to managing hurtful behaviours and bullying, before responding to the various questions.
   1. First, the Ministry of Education (MOE) takes a firm stance against all forms of hurtful behaviours, from once-off, insensitive comments to persistent intentional acts of bullying and physical violence. Schools have rules against such behaviours and teach students why these behaviours are wrong.
   2. Second, we recognise that children learn behaviours from multiple sources- home, school, peers, online. Therefore, upstream preventive work involves these parties, and we all need to play a part.
   3. Third, discipline in the context of the school environment is an educative process. Disciplinary measures must help students learn the consequences of their actions. As children have the potential to learn from their mistakes and grow through experience, our disciplinary approach must continue to focus on teaching, guiding and rehabilitating our children, and helping to restore relationships.
   4. Finally, parents and families are key partners. We need to work with them, build a relationship with them so that they can work with us to instill kindness and respect for others through positive adult role modelling, and closer monitoring of children's online activities, especially outside school. Our schools also work with the community and partners in addressing hurtful behaviours.
4. Some Members asked about the outcomes of previous reviews. In 2020, MOE conducted a review on the Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum. In the context of that larger review, MOE also looked at the issue of bullying. This led to a number of CCE-related enhancements, which were implemented in 2021. Of these, three were relevant to strengthening schools' capacity to address hurtful behaviours and bullying.
   1. First, the CCE curriculum was refreshed to place stronger emphasis on guiding students to be kind and caring, both online as well as offline.
   2. Second, schools established a peer support system in every school, where students are taught how to support one another, be an upstander and look out for those who do not have strong support from their friends in school. So, sometimes, when you go around, you see some of the children with a badge that says, "Peer Support Leader", or some other variant of the name.
   3. Third, our schools have designated staff whose work covers areas such as fostering positive school culture, addressing hurtful behaviours and working with parents and the community to guide and educate our students.
5. I will next elaborate on how these enhancements and other existing measures address bullying and hurtful behaviours in our schools. Let me start with educative efforts, which some Members have asked about. From young, our students learn pro-social behaviours through lessons and adult role-modelling in schools. The CCE curriculum and the school environment emphasise values and respect, and students learn to be kind to their classmates, resolve disagreements respectfully and learn appropriate ways to stand up against bullying. Through cyber wellness lessons, they also learn to extend such pro-social behaviours online. In addition, students learn about healthy mindsets, habits and skills to strengthen their mental health and resilience in the face of challenges.
6. Students learn how to respond when they encounter unsafe situations. They are taught to stay calm, avoid retaliation, move away from the situation and seek help from a trusted adult, such as their parents, teachers or school leaders.
7. Some Members asked about school processes such as anti-bullying frameworks, reporting channels, investigation, parent engagement timelines and disciplinary measures. Our schools have policies and frameworks that send a clear message to students that hurtful behaviours and bullying are not acceptable. These include school rules and consequences for bullying. There are also various reporting channels for students to report bullying. For example, students can report incidents directly or through their friends, peer support leaders, teachers and School Leaders, or through online platforms such as emails or online forms. Discipline talks for students are also conducted regularly by schools to communicate their approach to managing misconduct, including bullying.
8. When an incident is reported, our schools conduct investigations before deciding on the appropriate course of action which includes disciplinary as well as restorative actions. They adopt a tiered approach for disciplinary measures based on the severity of the case. Such measures range from reflection for careless remarks to detention or suspension for more serious cases, and caning for boys in egregious cases. These measures help students learn from their mistakes, reframe their thinking and change their behaviours. For severe bullying that warrants police attention, a police report will be made and perpetrators may face legal consequences.
9. When bullying occurs, our priority is the safety of the affected students. Schools implement safety plans for the victims. This could include separating them from perpetrators, facilitating the removal of hurtful online content and identifying peer support leaders to befriend and look out for them in school. In addition, teachers and school counsellors work with both victims and perpetrators, helping them manage their emotions and work towards mending ties and restoring friendships. Students who continue to experience distress are referred to community resources, such as the Response, Early Intervention and Assessment in Community Mental Health (REACH) teams for more specialised support. I will just pause here to mention that I am using the words "perpetrator" and "victim" in order to shorten the phrases, but I know people might be concerned about the labels that we use – and certainly we are mindful of that – and we continue to see how best we can find the right terms to use both in public discourse as well as in our institutions. So, please bear with us in the meantime.
10. I would also say, Sir, that parent engagement and partnership are vital. When bullying incidents happen, schools engage parents to inform them about the facts of the incident, work with them on the safety plan and focus on the well-being of the students. The time it takes to investigate each case will vary, depending on complexity. Similarly, restoring and mending relationships and improving behaviour take time and parents are encouraged to work with schools and give this process some time to take effect. Schools share resources with parents and parent support groups on how to form caring relationships and monitor their children's online behaviour, online activities and tips to support the children in cases of bullying and cyberbullying. I have a printed copy of the "Parenting for Wellness Toolbox” for parents, which is put together by MOE, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). There are some chapters here, on for example, cyberbullying, when a child is the victim, what can parents do? How can they work with the schools? How to notice signs and symptoms that the child might have been cyberbullied both in and outside of school, how to engage in conversation with the children and then of course, when your child is himself or herself involved in causing hurtful behaviour against others.
11. Mr Speaker, some Members have asked about teacher training and support for our schools. As part of teacher preparation courses, all teachers are trained to foster positive class culture, address hurtful behaviours and recognise signs of distress. They are supported by key personnel and school counsellors. Our schools use MOE guidelines and resources on what constitutes bullying and cyberbullying, and how to manage these cases. Some schools also work with social service agencies (SSAs) to conduct bullying and cyberbullying awareness programmes for students and training workshops for school staff. School personnel also regularly review their school-based strategies to manage bullying and share good practices with other schools.
12. Indeed, improving our framework to tackle bullying is a continual work-in-progress. Members have raised useful suggestions that we will consider as we seek to strengthen our current measures. As I shared on 27 August this year, at a dialogue with educators, parents and community partners, MOE had been conducting a comprehensive review of bullying since early 2025. Based on the work done so far, we are now conducting external public consultation on four key areas:
    1. First, strengthening our school culture, environment and processes;
    2. Second, give greater emphasis to values education for our students;
    3. Third, providing more resources and support for our schools and educators and deepening their capacity; and
    4. Fourth, enhancing school-home partnerships, the relationship between our teachers and educators, and parents and families.
13. We are encouraged to have received many constructive suggestions from parents, students, educators, community partners and researchers. These include providing schools with more resources to investigate and deal with cases, involving parents support groups to support parents whose children are involved in bullying, keeping parents informed about the content of CCE lessons so that they can reinforce values education at home and involving peers to educate others on being an upstander – amongst many other suggestions. We will consider all these suggestions as well as ideas raised by Members seriously, before finalising the recommendations which we aim to release in the first half of 2026.
14. Our shared goal as an education system and as a society must be an empowering one. We have a collective responsibility to help our children, our next generation, learn how to relate to others, be kind and show respect to others. In this, children model behaviours and pick up values from the home environment, their school environment and the community. Some learn quickly. Some repeat mistakes. Others make new ones. We have some 400,000 over children in our primary and secondary schools, and their daily interactions in class, outside class, outside school. Children make mistakes. They make mistakes in their academic studies. They may make mistakes when they are performing the CCAs. They may make mistakes in their project work. And they may make mistakes in their interpersonal relationships with others, both with their teachers as well as other schoolmates. Some of these could be inadvertent or careless behaviour, lack of awareness or sensitivity. Some of it could be deliberate. And some of it could be a function of their conditions – some may have special needs or other issues that they are grappling with. They learn best through calm correction from adults, reflecting on how they should have behaved, make amends for their behaviour, experience disciplinary consequences and being welcomed back to their social circles with continued guidance and support.
15. I thank Members of Parliament (MPs) and the public for the care and concern shown for the well-being of our students and educators. Ultimately, we want to keep improving and enhancing our system, addressing the concerns of parents, the workload on our educators and their sense of mission; and of course, addressing the issues that the public raised. We all want the same outcome - for schools to be safe, caring and enabling environments for all students and our staff. MOE will continue to work with schools, parents, community professionals and members of the public as we collectively role model the right behaviours and create the gracious and respectful society for our children to flourish.