SINGAPORE: A pupil from Sengkang Green Primary School has been caned for his involvement in bullying a female classmate, with the school acting “in a timely manner”, said the Ministry of Education (MOE).
The boy is among three Primary 3 pupils suspended after death threats were sent to the girl’s mother. She had earlier reported them to the school for bullying her daughter.
The girl, who stopped attending school because of the bullying, will return to school with a safety plan in place, with her parents no longer requesting a transfer, the ministry said.
Facebook user Ni Yin had posted about a series of alleged bullying incidents that happened over several months, resulting in her nine-year-old daughter requesting to stop attending school.
Her post on Aug 14 was accompanied by an audio recording of threats against her and her family, which was sent on July 26, after she had filed a complaint with the school.
Given the severity of the allegations, MOE said in a Facebook post on Aug 20 that it would make public the facts.
It said that each time an incident was reported, the school addressed it promptly and took firm disciplinary action “while seeking to restore friendships and help the children to learn and grow”.
The ministry added that the girl had herself engaged in “hurtful behaviour” on some occasions – including the use of offensive and racial slurs – and the school had handled such incidents fairly.
The boys were immediately suspended after they were found to have made prank calls to the girl’s mother, with one of them found to have sent the threats, MOE said. The school will take further disciplinary actions, including caning, and work with their parents so that the boys can learn from their actions.
MOE added that the school engaged the parents of the pupils involved on different occasions and told them of the actions taken, including the safety plan for the girl.
A meeting for Aug 18 had been arranged on Aug 14 between the school and the girl’s parents, but the mother alleged on Facebook before the meeting that the school did not take any action.
In the audio recording accompanying the Facebook post, a person can be heard shouting expletives, before saying: “I might dissect her. I might dissect her into pieces like you. So which one do you want me to do? Dissect her? Or end her life in school?
“Choose one. Either don’t want one, I will kill you instead and your husband.”
Following the threats, Ni Yin said she filed a police report and informed the school, MOE and her Member of Parliament to ensure they paid attention to the issue.
The police confirmed that a report was lodged and are looking into the matter.
In the Facebook post on Aug 14, Ni Yin detailed the various instances of bullying her daughter faced, accompanied by an audio recording of threats levelled against her and her family.
MOE said the Aug 18 meeting took place over four hours, with the school going through the sequence of events with the girl’s parents, including the girl’s behaviour.
“The parents agreed to work with the school to have their child return to the current school with the enhanced safety plan in place, without further request for a school transfer,” it said.
The Straits Times has contacted Ni Yin for more information.
The ministry added: “MOE and schools take a firm stand against bullying and hurtful behaviour. We understand the anxieties of parents whose children may be affected by hurtful behaviour, and we urge parents to work closely with the school to support their child’s well-being.
“When parents choose to publicise a dramatised, one-sided account on social media, it causes further emotional distress for their children and hinders the school’s efforts to rehabilitate and reconcile.”
In this particular case, it also resulted in online attacks and doxxing of teachers and children, which the ministry said were bullying behaviours and sent the wrong message to children.
The issue of bullying cases in schools was spotlighted in February, when then Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said in Parliament that his ministry takes a serious view of any act of bullying or violence.
He said that parents should leave it to the respective schools and the authorities to handle such cases without speculating or stepping in, which complicates matters.
Previously, he said in October 2024 that the average number of bullying incidents had held steady. For every 1,000 students, there is an annual average of two incidents of bullying in primary schools, and six in secondary schools.
These incidents cover all forms of bullying, whether it occurs in or outside school. - The Straits Times/ANN
