MOE activates CARE teams after student suicides, shuns KPIs in favour of baseline capabilities

Specialised school teams trained to manage psychological emergencies are activated in the immediate aftermath of any suspected student suicide, Minister for Education Desmond Lee disclosed in Parliament on 5 March 2026.

The revelation came in a written reply to questions filed by Workers' Party MP He Ting Ru of Sengkang GRC, who sought details on both the specific protocols deployed when suicide situations arise and the postvention procedures designed to ensure timely and trauma-informed support for affected students and staff.

Mr Lee opened his reply with a direct statement of principle: "Every suicide case is a tragedy and we take suicide prevention, intervention and postvention support very seriously."

He then outlined the immediate response framework, centred on what the Ministry calls CARE — Caring Actions in Support of an Emergency — teams, comprising specially trained teachers, school counsellors, and Ministry of Education headquarters personnel.

Upon a student death where suicide is suspected, these CARE teams are deployed to identify and help affected staff and students manage their psychological distress.

Students who were close to the deceased are given emotional support and guided to seek assistance from trusted adults, while their parents are informed of the passing in a sensitive manner and without specific details of the circumstances.

Parents are also provided with relevant resources to help them monitor and support their children in the aftermath.

Mr Lee emphasised that to protect the privacy of bereaved families, the Ministry does not disclose details of the passing, and that students and staff are urged not to speculate on the cause of death.

Schools additionally monitor affected students for potential contagion effects and intervene where necessary. School staff who are personally affected may access counselling services provided by trained professionals within MOE, ensuring that postvention support extends to those responsible for student welfare.

The CARE framework is not a new one. In a Ministerial Statement delivered in Parliament in July 2021, then-Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing described the activation of a CARE post at River Valley High School following the death of a student there — at that time defining the acronym as "Caring Actions in Response to an Emergency."

Turning to the broader question of institutional readiness, Ms He had separately asked the Ministry to provide updates on the key performance indicators used to ensure that educational institutions maintain adequate support systems and sufficiently trained staff to conduct suicide-risk assessments and interventions. 

Her question also addressed safeguards around help-seeking from reprisal and the provision of continued support for staff and students involved in such interventions.

In his response, Mr Lee drew a clear distinction between measurement and capability. "Rather than relying on key performance indicators," the Minister stated, "the Ministry of Education has baseline requirements for every educational institution to maintain essential capabilities for suicide support."

Schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) have processes specifically designed to enhance early detection and intervention for cases of self-harm, including suicide.

Educators and staff are trained to recognise signs of distress and provide initial guidance and support, with teachers also receiving instruction in basic counselling skills.

All schools and IHLs have additionally established peer support structures enabling students to look out for one another and encouraging peers in distress to seek help from trusted adults — creating, as Mr Lee put it, "multiple touchpoints of support and ways to identify students in distress."

Students requiring further support are referred to counsellors within their institutions, all of whom are trained to conduct suicide risk assessments, support students identified as being at risk, and work in close coordination with parents to ensure their safety.

The Minister noted that these counsellors abide by professional standards and organisational protocols for ethical practices, and regularly refresh their capabilities through case consultation and clinical supervision.

For students assessed to be at high risk of suicide and in need of additional clinical support, the Ministry has in place referral pathways to multi-disciplinary community mental health teams — including the Response, Early Intervention and Assessment in Community Mental Health programme, known as REACH, and the Community Health Assessment Team, or CHAT — as well as emergency hospital services where necessary. Parental consent will be sought in such cases.

Mr Lee concluded by affirming the Ministry's commitment to continually strengthen its support systems and deepen collaboration with community partners, "so that students can receive the necessary support, in school or in other settings as appropriate."

The Minister did not provide the requested data on the number of students referred for high-risk intervention, the volume of counselling engagements conducted, or the outcomes tracked under the current support framework.