Desmond Lee on Stronger Anti-Bullying Measures in Schools

MOE’s stance & principles

• Zero tolerance for hurtful behaviour/bullying (incl. cyber).
• Whole-community prevention: home, school, peers, online.
• Discipline is educative: consequences + rehabilitation + restoring relationships.
• Parents are key partners; schools also work with community agencies.

What’s already in place

• Policies & rules against bullying; regular discipline talks.
• Multiple reporting channels: directly to teachers/school leaders, via peer support leaders, email/online forms.
• Investigation → proportional measures: from reflection (for callous remarks) to detention/suspension; caning for boys in egregious cases; police report for severe cases.
• Immediate safety plans for victims: separation from perpetrators, takedown of hurtful online content, buddying by peers.
• Psycho-social support: teachers & counsellors; REACH / community referrals if distress persists.
• Teacher prep/training: recognising distress, managing hurtful behaviour; schools share practices via Community Learning Networks.

2020–2021 enhancements (already implemented)

1. CCE refresh: stronger emphasis on kindness/respect online & offline.
2. Peer Support System in every school (students trained as upstanders).
3. Designated staff for school culture/anti-bullying/parent & community partnership.

Current review & consultations (2025 → 2026)

• Comprehensive review underway since early 2025; ongoing public consultations.
• Four workstreams:
  1. School culture, environment, processes
  2. Values education (greater emphasis)
  3. Resources & capacity for schools/educators
  4. School–home partnerships
• Target: release recommendations in 1H 2026.

Notable MP suggestions & Minister’s replies (highlights)

• In-school vs home suspension: Schools already use both; in-school can be more effective when unsupervised home time blunts consequences.
• Anti-retaliation clause & baseline reporting options: Will study as part of review.
• Monitoring post-incident: Schools monitor victims’ safety plans and perpetrators’ interventions; customise with counsellors/REACH as needed.
• Parent engagement: Timing depends on severity/repeat behaviour; priority is immediate safety, then facts, then notify all relevant parents and co-work on follow-ups.
• Intersecting child maltreatment: Schools coordinate with FSCs/specialist agencies when family violence/maltreatment is flagged.
• Consistency & accountability across schools: MOE framework + learning networks guide practice; early identification embedded through CCE, staff training, and peer systems.
• Cyberbullying takedowns: IMDA has powers (threshold-based) to require platform removals; schools also compel student removals as part of resolution.
• Centralised anti-bullying support unit: Under consideration to reduce burden on teachers and handle egregious cases.
• Over-reporting vs resilience: Teachers exercise judgment; aim is safety + resilience, not over-protection.
• School/staff penalties or cover-ups: Minister not aware of penalties tied to incidents; specific “cover-up” claims would be investigated.
• Measuring impact & parental toolkit uptake: Behaviour change is multi-factor; hard to quantify neatly; toolkit accessibility to be improved (data on uptake not provided).