Support will be given to River Valley students, staff: Chan

Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said his ministry is rendering all possible support to affected students and staff of River Valley High School (RVHS), following an incident yesterday in which a student was allegedly killed by another student in the school.

In a Facebook post yesterday, he said students' and staff's safety and well-being are of paramount importance. "We are all shocked to receive news of the tragic incident at River Valley High School," he said.

He added that the Ministry of Education (MOE) is determined to work with parents and students to keep schools safe, and have children grow up and learn in a trusted environment.

"To all our students: We will take care of you as always," he wrote.

"If you need to talk to anyone, or know someone who needs help, please reach out to an adult, your teachers or school counsellors. You are never alone, and we will always stand ready to help you."

Mr Chan visited the school at around 5.30pm yesterday, and spoke to some staff and students.

Speaking to the media, he said the school is in close communication with parents to provide the information they may need to have a sense of assurance.

"Give the families some time and... respect their privacy," he said, adding that the public should not speculate about the reasons behind the alleged attack.

Mr Chan urged students and families who need assistance to reach out for help, saying schools and counsellors all stand ready.

In a show of solidarity, he also updated his Facebook profile photo yesterday, replacing it with a monochrome image of the RVHS logo.

National Development Minister Desmond Lee said the Boon Lay community has also reached out to the school to offer assistance.

An Indonesian final-year undergraduate, 21, fell four storeys to his death moments after he allegedly stabbed the supervisor of his final-year project in his office with a knife.

The alleged attack occurred on March 2, 2009 during a meeting to discuss the project with the professor. The student is said to have stabbed the professor from the back before falling from a bridge at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) campus.

The student's death was ruled a suicide following a coroner's inquiry that spanned 10 days and involved more than 30 witnesses.

A then 17-year-old student slashed another teenager with a bread knife on the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) West campus on March 9, 2015 in an attack sparked by a dispute over the victim's girlfriend.

The lunchtime attack, which was caught on a video that was widely shared, left the victim with cuts on his left forearm, left fingers, upper back, and behind his left ear. The victim also suffered fractures in his forearm and two fingers.

The perpetrator was given reformative training following an appeal.

Jean Iau

Mr Lee, who is an MP for West Coast GRC (Boon Lay), where the school is located, added that the local family service centre (FSC) has placed its counsellors and those of nearby FSCs on standby to support those who are emotionally or psychologically affected.

"We have also activated our community volunteers to assist the school in any way it needs, and will make all our facilities available for the school's use, if necessary. We will place this at MOE's and RVHS' disposal."

Mr Lee added: "My immediate thoughts and prayers are with the grieving family, and also with the students, teachers, parents and alumni who must be deeply affected by this tragedy and struggling to make sense of it."

Minister of State for Education Gan Siow Huang shared Mr Chan's post on Facebook and echoed his call for students to reach out, writing: "Most of us were lost for words when we heard about this tragic incident. We stand ready to help."

Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin also shared Mr Chan's post on Facebook. "Let's stay calm and not add to the anguish of the families affected by this tragic incident," he wrote. "Please don't spread images... and rumours."