PUBLISHED ONAugust 27, 2025 1:00 PMBYKoh Xing YingThe Ministry of Education (MOE) has addressed the issue of bullying and its efforts to create a safe and caring environment for school students.
Speaking at the MOE's headquarters on Wednesday (Aug 27), Education Minister Desmond Lee acknowledged the challenges of investigating and intervening in complex bullying cases.
"Over the past months, I have sought to better understand how colleagues at MOE, as well as our schools, approach bullying cases. Any form of hurtful behaviour is wrong and unacceptable," he said.
"We do not, and will not, condone bullying and hurtful behaviour."
The minister's address came after three students at Sengkang Green Primary School were suspended for allegedly bullying a classmate and giving death threats against her family.
Another bullying case, which occurred in February this year at Montfort Secondary School, was also raised.
Lee noted that four key areas have been identified to engage stakeholders, including parents, in the next phase of the review to develop solutions.
"First, we will continue to strengthen our school culture, environment, and processes. We will enhance our school policies on bullying and hurtful behaviour."
He added that reporting channels will be made more accessible to students, and peer support will be enhanced to cultivate a culture of kindness and respect.
Lee also emphasised that greater focus will be given to values education for students.
He pointed out that initiatives like Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) are in place to teach children the courage to stand up for what is right and express disagreements with respect.
"Through CCE lessons, we will include more real-life scenarios and help students understand the impact of their actions on others," he added.
Additionally, the support for and the deepening of schools' and educators' capacity will also be a priority to help foster positive school cultures and manage hurtful behaviour.
Last, Lee noted the importance of enhancing the school-home partnership, where parents and schools can work together more closely to raise the younger generation.
"We have launched our refreshed school-home partnership guidelines last year. We will continue to build trust and work with parents through mutually respectful communication," said Lee.
He acknowledged that while students may make wrong choices as they grow and develop, schools will conduct thorough investigations to establish the facts when wrongdoing occurs.
Disciplinary measures, including detention and suspension, will also be meted out as part of the learning process.
Speaking to a total of 20 participants at the dialogue, which included educators, parents, and parents support members, Lee said that the approach to tackling the problem "is not a simple issue".
He added that it isn’t straightforward, as there may be different perspectives from parents, teachers, and even the public on what is considered appropriate.
"Ultimately, we all want the same outcome — schools that are safe spaces where students develop sound values, learn, and forge friendships."
Lee pointed out that since the beginning of 2025, MOE has been conducting a comprehensive internal review to improve existing structures and processes.
He said that while frameworks are already in place, more attention is needed to ensure clear and timely communication, as updates to parents may have been delayed while schools took time to establish the facts.
Minister Lee ended the session by reinforcing the importance of mutual support between parents and educators.
"We want to continue to strengthen mutual support and trust between parents and educators. Good values and behaviour begin at home, and they are further shaped and reinforced in schools. This partnership between school and home is vital."
MOE has also noted that the findings on the key recommendations and follow-up actions will be released in the first half of next year.
[[nid:721755]]
xingying.koh@asiaone.com
