MOE will look at four areas in review to improve how bullying is handled: Desmond Lee

SINGAPORE - There is room for improvement in the way bullying in schools is handled, particularly in cases where schools may delay communication with parents because they need time to establish the facts, said Education Minister Desmond Lee on Aug 27.

This could unintentionally make parents and children feel anxious, he said in his first remarks to the media about the bullying issue. Any form of hurtful behaviour is wrong and unacceptable, Mr Lee added, and parents and schools need to work together closely to build trust.

The need for clearer and more timely communication with parents was among the findings from consultations with teachers, as part of

a Ministry of Education (MOE) review, which began in 2025

to improve processes to address bullying and hurtful behaviour in schools.

Speaking to the media before a dialogue held at the MOE headquarters in Buona Vista, Mr Lee identified four areas that the ministry will be looking into: strengthening school culture and processes; focusing more on values education for students; supporting educators; and improving schools’ partnerships with parents.

For instance, the ministry will strengthen school policies on bullying, which include looking at its framework for discipline, rehabilitation and restorative practice.

Current reporting channels for students who experience bullying will also be made more accessible.

Consultations with parents, teachers and professionals will continue till the end of 2025, and MOE will release its key recommendations and follow-up actions by the first half of 2026.

The closed-door session on Aug 27, which marked the start of the review’s second phase, was attended by 20 participants, including parents, teachers and others from the community.

Mr Lee’s remarks follow a recent case of

bullying at Sengkang Green Primary School

, where a Primary 3 pupil bullied a female classmate and sent death threats to the girl’s mother, who then reported the threats to the school and the police.

Mr Lee also cited a separate viral video of a student

pointing a knife at another student

outside a school, as well as a fighting incident at Montfort Secondary School

involving three Secondary 1 students

.

He said these incidents “have understandably heightened all our anxieties about the safety and well-being of our children in and out of school”.

He added: “Our children today also navigate social situations and relationships that are getting more complex. Beyond the physical setting, many of their interactions now also happen online on WhatsApp, social media, Discord and more – platforms that did not exist when we were children ourselves.”

Concerns about bullying have surfaced from time to time when incidents come to light online. Parents and members of the public have called for more transparency in the way schools handle bullying, including in the disciplinary actions taken.

Mr Lee said that when issues arise, educators help students reflect, mete out disciplinary measures, and may have to report to the police more serious cases involving physical harm.

He emphasised that children and young people have the capacity to learn and grow, given the right guidance.

Noting that bullying is not a simple issue, Mr Lee said schools have to navigate grey areas when children’s or parents’ accounts differ, and people have different views on what the appropriate response should be.

But ultimately, all parties want schools to be safe spaces for children, he said.

“This work is never finished, and there will always be room to improve.”

Mr Lee said Character and Citizenship Education lessons will include more real-life scenarios and contemporary examples to help students understand the impact of their actions on others, develop empathy and practise conflict resolution.

Professional development for teachers will be enhanced, along with greater use of technology to support their work.

And schools will continue to build trust with parents and work with them through mutually respectful communication and being good role models to children, said Mr Lee.

“We will do more to guide and support our children. Our schools must continue to be a safe space for children to learn the right values, discover who they are, build friendships and fulfil their potential,” he added.

Parent Melisse Lee, 44, who works in analytics, said: “I hope MOE will reinforce its existing zero-tolerance stance on bullying, and always put the safety and well-being of bullying victims first.”

The mother of three children, aged seven, 10 and 12, added: “Using language that could look like victim-blaming makes victims feel afraid to come forward, and makes parents feel like they’ll only find justice through social media.”

Clinical psychologist Carol Balhetchet said it is encouraging that the ministry is taking more notice of the issue of bullying and taking further steps to tackle it.

She said help is needed for both bullies and victims, with training needed for teachers to handle cases and for parents to listen to their child and put a stop to the “vicious circle” of bullying.

Dr Balhetchet, who has counselled both those who bully and those who experience bullying, said perpetrators typically bully to gain power over another person, and could do so out of reasons such as jealousy or a desire for popularity.

Those with feedback on the issue of bullying in schools can share their thoughts at

https://go.gov.sg/moebullyingreview

from now till Oct 31.