“Huh?” “Buddy system?” “That’s it?” Netizens react to Chan Chun Sing looking into buddy system programme for students’ mental health

Singaporeans have expressed their doubt over the new buddy system that Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing said the Ministry of Education (MOE) is exploring to help students handle problems in a better way.

In an event that focused on addressing mental health that was held on Friday (Jul 30), Mr Chan responded to comments by students by saying that he is looking at the implementation of a peer support programme that will entail students having a trusted buddy who is capable of listening effectively.

This came in response to students revealing that when they are faced with problems or when something has upset them, they open up to peers with whom they have a good level of trust.

“The challenges of your generation are quite different from the challenges of our generation,” Mr Chan said to the students, “so you want somebody you can relate to, and somebody who can understand your issues.”

He also added in the age and cultural gap that serves as a possible problem, citing the millennial term “FOMO,” which means the “Fear Of Missing Out.”

“… if you say FOMO, some of us (who are) older may not know what is FOMO. You all use a different lingo,” he said.

In response to this, a handful of Singaporeans expressed their doubts that this buddy system would be effective. Others were much more blunt saying things like “Huh?” and “Buddy system?”

Netizens listed shared reasons why they think that such a system won’t work. “It does not work. We had that in school,” wrote one, “Teachers pair up and you’ll end up liking or hating the person to the point that it’s just surface buddying in front of the teachers and you do your own things outside of that.”

Others pointed out problems in such a system, asking “What if the child gets influenced negatively instead?” and making comments making reference to Mr Chan’s army background, saying “Army guy only use(s) army methods.”

Others took a more direct approach, such as a netizen who asked, “That’s it? That’s the only thing you can come up with after all that’s happened? A buddy system? Seriously?”

/TISG