'There should be stronger deterrents': Netizens question new MOE anti-bullying measures

A thread on the r/Singapore subreddit discussing Education Minister Desmond Lee's comments on tackling bullying in schools has sparked heated debate online.

Netizens questioned the effectiveness of the proposed measures and called for specialised teams comprising non-teachers to tackle bullying.

The discussion came after a Aug 27 dialogue session with Mr Lee, held in the wake of the Sengkang Green Primary School incident where three students bullied a female classmate and sent death threats to her mother.

The trio have since been suspended, with one of them caned.

According to The Straits Times, Mr Lee outlined four key areas that the ministry will focus on: strengthening school culture and processes, focusing more on values education for students, supporting educators, and improving schools' partnerships with parents.

'There should be stronger deterrents'

But netizens labelled the four key areas in the Comprehensive Action Review "vague" and "motherhood statements", with many calling for "stronger deterrents" and harsher consequences for bullying in schools.

One user suggested a "no-tolerance approach", including public caning, police reports, and expulsion for repeat offenders.

"Just expel," another wrote, adding that the common defence that bullies are "just kids" is unacceptable.

"The victim is just a kid too. So why should they have to shoulder the trauma for the rest of their lives while the bullies can move on with theirs without any consequences?"

However, one commenter offered a different perspective. While they acknowledged that severe punishments like expulsion are an option, they cautioned that "many forget that these are young children we're dealing with, and not adults."

"If we impose punishments that are too harsh, we risk losing these members of the society forever, when they can still be integrated back," they wrote.

Grey areas of bullying in schools

Mr Lee acknowledged that bullying is a complex issue, as schools often have to navigate grey areas - such as differing accounts from children and parents, and varying views on appropriate responses.

The Education Ministry aims to improve reporting channels for bullying and harmful behaviour and to strengthen peer support. In more serious cases involving physical harm, the matter would be referred to the police.

Ultimately, Mr Lee said, schools must be a "safe space" for students where educators can "steward and shape young lives".

Anti-bullying team 'not manned by teachers'

Netizens also questioned whether teachers should be solely responsible for managing bullying cases, with one suggesting that schools should have specialised teams "not manned by teachers" to handle such cases.

"Teachers already have a high workload," another wrote, proposing the creation of an "anti-bullying team" so that educators can focus on teaching rather than making "half-hearted attempts to tackle something they did not sign up for".

Related story: Uproar over Sengkang Green Primary bullying reveals an unrealistic Singapore