SINGAPORE: Education Minister Chan Chun Sing stated that the number of reported bullying incidents in schools has remained stable over the past five years.

On average, there were around two incidents per 1,000 primary school students and six incidents per 1,000 secondary school students annually, he said.

Bullying incidents involving technology accounted for fewer than one per 1,000 secondary students, and even fewer at the primary school level.

Speaking during the parliamentary session on Monday (14 October), Minister Chan addressed questions raised by fellow MPs regarding recent school bullying cases that have sparked public concern.

One case involved a video circulated online last month, allegedly showing students from Bukit View Secondary School bullying a peer, though the incident actually occurred in October last year.

Minister Chan reassured MPs that the Ministry of Education (MOE) equips students with pro-social skills through the Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum, which includes lessons on kindness, conflict resolution, and appropriate behaviour.

Minister emphasised the need to balance punishment with rehabilitation

Teachers are trained to foster a supportive classroom environment and to address bullying proactively.

He explained that MOE considers the severity of each incident and the profiles of the students involved when determining disciplinary actions.

These can range from detention and suspension to caning for boys as a last resort. In serious cases, police reports may be filed.

However, Minister Chan stressed the importance of balancing punishment with rehabilitation.

He cautioned against actions that could hinder a perpetrator’s opportunity for reform, particularly counterproductive behaviors on social media, emphasising the need for a justice that blends accountability with rehabilitation.

MP He Ting Ru inquires about breakdown of bullying incidents and special guidelines for neurodiverse students

Ms He Ting Ru, Workers’ Party MP for Sengkang GRC, pressed Minister Chan for breakdown of reported bullying incidents, specifically distinguishing between offline and online incident reported to the school.

Minister Chan clarified that while the data for offline incidents had been provided, online incidents were generally reported at a much lower rate.

He acknowledged that this discrepancy might be due to a lack of awareness among students about what constitutes online bullying.

For instance, if a child feels persistently excluded from a group, it could be a form of psychological bullying, but understanding this requires context.

Minister Chan suggested that the number of reported online bullying incidents is likely to rise over time as awareness increases and as children are exposed to more online interactions.

Ms He also inquired about any special guidelines or approaches for handling bullying cases involving students with neurodiverse conditions or disabilities.

Minister Chan emphasised the importance of sensitivity in these situations.

He noted that there is no one-size-fits-all method for addressing bullying involving students with special needs.

NCMP Hazel Poa questions accuracy of Minister Chan’s Claim on Steady School Bullying Trends

Hazel Poa, Non-Constituency MP from the Progress Singapore Party, noted that while the minister mentioned that the trend of bullying over the past five years has remained steady, she challenged the sufficiency of this timeframe, arguing that social behavior trends may take longer to assess.

She further queried if the minister could provide figures over a longer time frame like for example 20 years?

She also inquired whether there had been any studies exploring the reasons behind bullying behavior among children and young people, aimed at identifying potential preemptive measures to address such behavior.

In response, Minister Chan acknowledged that he did not have data spanning the last 20 years.

“The only thing that we have changed in the classification is that previously we did not account for instances that happen outside school, but more recently we have also put that into our data. That’s about the only change that we have done recently,”Minister Chan told Ms Poa.

WP MP Jamus Lim raises concerns over parental involvement in bullying cases

WP MP Associate Professor Jamus Lim then expressed concern over the limited or absent involvement of parents, particularly highlighting feedback from parents in Sengkang who felt that their outreach to school authorities, such as the discipline master, resulted in inadequate actions due to insufficient family involvement from the perpetrator’s side.

In response, Minister Chan emphasised that the MOE does indeed involve the parents of perpetrators as part of the rehabilitation process.

He clarified that the rehabilitation cannot occur independently of parental involvement, as parents play a crucial role in the partnership needed to raise children effectively.

Minister Chan noted that, unlike jurisdictions that impose fines or punitive measures on parents, the MOE’s approach is more collaborative.

He encouraged parents of perpetrators to engage more actively, and he invited Lim to inform them of any specific cases where parental involvement was lacking, promising to follow up on such concerns.

He also addressed the issue of expectations and pointed out that in difficult cases, some parents may take matters into their own hands, which he described as unhelpful.

He stressed that this type of behaviour serves as negative role modeling for children and is contrary to the guidance the MOE aims to provide.

On 10 September 2024, Minister for Home Affairs and Law, Mr K Shanmugam, refused to provide detailed information requested by Workers’ Party Member of Parliament (MP) for Sengkang GRC, Ms He Ting Ru, regarding visa-free visitors involved in criminal offences in Singapore.

Ms He had asked for statistics on how many visa-free visitors had been arrested or identified as persons of interest for criminal activities from 2021 to June 2024, along with a breakdown of offences by type, number, and country of origin.

She also queried the consideration of enhanced screening measures and the possibility of introducing an electronic travel authorisation system similar to those in other jurisdictions.

In his written response, Mr Shanmugam stated that with over 150 countries on the visa-free entry list, it would not be practical or meaningful to publish crime statistics specific to visitors from these nations.

He added that doing so could carry bilateral implications and potentially send the wrong message to bona fide visitors from these countries.

Mr Shanmugam affirmed that Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) employs a risk-based, multi-layered approach to balance border security with traveller facilitation and assured that the current measures are sufficient. He reiterated that there were no immediate plans to implement an electronic travel authorisation regime, as it would increase inconvenience for visitors.

“We are satisfied with the current measures, and for now, do not see a need for an additional electronic travel authorisation regime. Also, such a regime will make visiting Singapore more inconvenient,” said Mr Shanmugam.

This response followed an oral reply delivered earlier that day by Minister of State (MOS) for Home Affairs, Ms Sun Xueling, who addressed a related question posed by Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Mr Leong Mun Wai from the Progress Singapore Party (PSP).

Mr Leong had expressed concerns about the potential rise in crime following the introduction of a 30-day visa exemption arrangement for Chinese nationals in February 2024. He specifically questioned whether the recent burglaries involving foreign syndicates had any link to this exemption and whether automated lanes at Changi Airport increased the risk of non-bona fide travellers entering the country.

Ms Sun refuted Mr Leong’s concerns, clarifying that there had been no increase in arrests among short-term visitors from China since the visa exemption came into effect.

She noted that the arrest rate of Chinese visitors had, in fact, decreased compared to the previous year. While acknowledging the involvement of some foreign nationals in criminal activity, she highlighted that the visa regime alone cannot eliminate all risks. Instead, ICA employs enhanced technology, such as biometrics and advanced data analytics, to screen travellers.

Ms Sun also emphasised the importance of the tourism sector to Singapore’s economy, generating S$27.2 billion in receipts in 2023 and employing over 71,000 workers. She argued that closing borders to prevent crimes would not be a viable solution, especially given Singapore’s competition with neighbouring countries like Malaysia and Thailand, which are also working to attract Chinese visitors.

Despite further calls from Mr Leong for additional security measures and tougher penalties for cross-border crimes, Ms Sun reassured that the government continually reviews its laws, including the Criminal Procedure Code and Penal Code, to address transnational crimes such as human trafficking, drug trafficking, and online scams.

She affirmed that Singapore remains vigilant in adapting its laws and measures to combat evolving criminal trends.