No tolerance for bullying and serious crimes
By 2027, all schools in Singapore will have to implement the same measures against student misconduct, including bullying. The sanctions provided include suspension, detention, impact on conduct grades and whippings for students in primary school and subsequent grades.
While schools currently have leeway to decide how to handle incidents by adapting Ministry of Education (MOE) guidelines, this new mandate aims to ensure consistency across all institutions, as stated by Minister Desmond Lee on 15 April.
Offenses include bullying, cheating, gambling and vaping. Very serious crimes include arson, drug abuse, fights, the use of e-cigarettes with etomidate and other criminal offenses causing serious injury.
The MOE’s approach has come under scrutiny in recent years due to several bullying incidents that emerged on social media. In one recent case, three third-graders sent death threats to a classmate’s mother: all were suspended and one was subjected to corporal punishment.
