SINGAPORE: At least six students from Sembawang Secondary School have received disciplinary action after a video surfaced showing them tossing and pushing a classmate seated in a dustbin.
The incident drew widespread concern after the video was shared in the Sgfollowsall Telegram group on 13 April 2025.
In the 6-second clip, a male student wearing the school’s red physical education T-shirt is seen inside a green trash bin. His hands and feet are outside the bin, and he grimaces as his schoolmates push and kick the receptacle.
At one point, one student kicks the bin hard enough for it to topple. The student inside falls to the ground with it.
Around ten other students can be seen watching the scene, some laughing while one appears to be recording the act on a mobile phone.
The behaviour sparked criticism online, with many netizens questioning whether the student was being bullied. Some suggested he appeared unwilling to participate, while others commented that even if intended as a prank, the actions were excessive.
Responding to media queries from Shin Min Daily News, Sembawang Secondary School confirmed that it was aware of the incident and had taken action.
A school spokesperson said: “We take the safety and well-being of our students very seriously and will not tolerate any form of harmful behaviour.”
The school stated that the students involved were counselled and given appropriate disciplinary measures.
It added that it had also contacted the parents of the students involved, including the one who was pushed.
The school emphasised that it hoped to help those involved learn from the incident, and reiterated its commitment to providing a safe environment for all students.
Maliki Osman: Bystanders and those who share incident recordings will be held accountable
Beyond the recent incident, school bullying remains a persistent concern.
In March, three teenagers were charged after a video emerged showing a student being assaulted in a stairwell at ITE College West. The 45-second clip captured two individuals repeatedly punching and kicking the victim while bystanders looked on.
In February 2025, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced that three Montfort Secondary School students, who were filmed bullying a classmate, would face disciplinary action.
The viral footage showed a student being tripped and kicked by a group of peers.
MOE later clarified that the victim had been involved in a prior altercation with two of the attackers, and that a teacher had initially intervened.
However, the confrontation resumed outside school premises.
On 7 March, Second Minister for Education Maliki Osman addressed bullying incidents in parliament.
He acknowledged that viral videos often present incidents from a limited perspective, leading the public to form emotional and sometimes premature judgments.
He also warned against the role of bystanders who record and circulate such content online, stating that they, too, could be held accountable.
“Bystanders and those who recorded the incident and shared the recordings online will also be called out, consulted, and punished if necessary,” he said.
Dr Maliki stressed that sharing such recordings can worsen the emotional and psychological impact on those involved.
“This is to remind them not to do so to avoid further hurting the ones who are involved and to highlight to them that by sharing their recordings, they are endorsing the acts and are complicit in the act,” he explained.
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