All Schools Stay Prepared Through Regular Emergency Drills

1 An emergency preparedness exercise involving a simulated armed perpetrator was conducted at Bukit Batok Secondary School (BBSS) on Thursday, 22 October 2026. Minister for Education, Mr Desmond Lee, was at the school to observe students and staff respond to a simulated security incident, demonstrating their readiness to manage emergency situations. This is one of the emergency drills that all primary¹ and secondary schools, junior colleges/Millennia Institute, and Special Education schools conduct each year.

Emergency scenarios for school emergency exercises

2 The exercise at BBSS, involving about 1,100 students and 160 staff, simulated a visitor turning hostile after he had entered the school premises. The school triggered its emergency response protocol, including activating internal communication channels and executing Run-Hide-Tell actions whereby staff and students underwent a school-wide lockdown, showing the readiness to manage such situations.

3 This is part of the regular emergency preparedness exercises that schools practise with scenarios spanning across different emergency situations, including fire evacuations, bomb threats, and uncooperative visitors. In consultation with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF), exercises are designed to be realistic and progressive, allowing schools to review and update protocols to bolster their readiness and response capabilities across a range of emergencies.

4 Emergency preparedness exercises underscore the importance of students and staff playing an active role in the school's safety ecosystem. With evolving and emerging threats, MOE also regularly review and introduce new scenarios into the emergency drills, to help students and staff practise emergency response protocols and be familiar with the safety procedures through a range of scenarios, so schools can cultivate a culture of preparedness that goes beyond any single type of threat.

Ensuring schools stay prepared

5 Supported by SCDF and SPF, MOE is committed to continue guiding all schools to conduct the regular scheduled emergency preparedness drills. After each drill, school leaders and teachers-in-charge will conduct post-drill briefings to reinforce the procedures to students and staff. MOE also regularly engages Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to ensure institutional readiness in the event of emergencies. Such drills also complement the SGSecure movement's efforts to inculcate vigilance and preparedness from young, by familiarising students with what they can do to protect themselves and seek help during a security incident.

6 Beyond emergency drills, MOE also works closely with schools and IHLs to conduct workshops and scenario-based discussions for selected staff on potential threats from within and around the school. This is to ensure that our schools are equipped with the knowledge and know-hows to respond swiftly and calmly during an emergency situation. Together, these efforts help build a culture of preparedness and reinforce the shared responsibility we all have in keeping Singapore safe – by staying vigilant, knowing how to respond during an emergency, and looking out for one another.

Footnotes

1. Including Ministry of Education (MOE) Kindergartens (MKs).