In Parliament: Chan Chun Sing addresses bullying in schools, says Admiral Sec School incident was an ‘altercation’

SINGAPORE: On Tuesday (Feb 4), Education Minister Chan Chun Sing tackled the issue of bullying in schools in Singapore. He provided clarification regarding a recent incident at Admiralty Secondary School on Jan 7. It was not a case of bullying but an “altercation (that) happened between two new Secondary 1 students during the transition between periods,” he said, citing preliminary investigations by the Ministry of Education (MOE).

During the incident, one student hit another on the head with a plastic bottle, causing a 4 cm wound. The 12-year-old injured boy was rushed to the hospital for treatment, and the police were called in to investigate.

Mr Chan noted that the school witnessed an average of two bullying incidents a year, which is also the national average for bullying in secondary schools. 

He also said the school staff had “acted appropriately to support the (injured) student’s well-being,” and the student has since returned to school.

The Education Minister also noted that the student who had caused the injury, also aged 12, was suspended and would be facing further disciplinary actions when he returns to school. The school will also help restore relations between the two boys.

Mr Chan said this partly in response to questions filed by Non-Constituency MP Hazel Poa from the Progress Singapore Party.

While he asserted that “no one should be bullied, no one wants to be bullied, and no one should bully”, he also warned against parents getting overly involved in suspected cases of bullying, as this could make matters worse.

“MOE takes a serious view of any act of bullying or violence,” he said. But he added that the ministry is concerned when people highlight bullying cases on social media in a one-sided manner appear in schools in person to demand action on behalf of their children, or even threaten the other children.

“This is wrong,” he stated.

Mr Chan said he understands the anxiety that parents experience due to fighting or bullying incidents. However, he appealed to them and the public: “Please allow the school and the authorities to deal with the cases and carry out the necessary disciplinary and restorative actions professionally.”

“MOE, parents, and (the) wider society must be on the same side. Let us work together as our children’s role models,” he wrote in a Facebook post early on Monday evening. /TISG

Read also: Police called in to investigate after boy hit new student on the head with bottle, causing 4cm wound