SINGAPORE: Education Minister Chan Chun Sing has yet to address the Montfort Secondary School bullying case, despite mounting calls from netizens.
A video showing Montfort Secondary School students bullying a fellow student has sparked public outrage after going viral on social media.
The footage, which surfaced online on 22 February, shows a group of students following the victim while shouting in the background.
One voice can be heard urging him to move faster.
The video captures one student wrestling the victim to the ground while another kicks him, as others cheer.
As the victim gets up and continues walking, the same student shoves him down again. Despite the repeated attacks, he gets back on his feet.
The viral Facebook post, which had garnered over a million views and more than 10,000 shares, was removed from public view at 11 pm on Sunday, 23 February.
Mother Demands Justice
The victim’s mother, Joleen Wee, a single parent, took to Facebook on Sunday night, stating that the video only captured part of the entire incident.
She alleged that before the recorded attack, her son had been strangled and beaten in a school stairwell.
Wee shared images of deep strangulation marks on her son’s neck, questioning the force used and describing the attack as attempted homicide.
She urged authorities to take the case seriously, rejecting what she called diplomatic responses and demanding concrete action.
Wee confirmed that she had taken her son to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital for medical evaluation and had filed a police report.
The police have since confirmed that investigations are ongoing.
School Responds but Withholds Details
Montfort Secondary School has stated that disciplinary action has been taken against the students involved.
Vice-Principal Wilson Tay said that the affected students had been counselled and their parents engaged.
He stated that the school takes student safety seriously and has taken appropriate disciplinary actions, though he did not specify what these were.
Tay also declined to disclose when the incident took place or when it was reported.
He added that the students had acknowledged their wrongdoing and expressed remorse, reiterating the school’s zero-tolerance policy on bullying.
The incident has sparked outrage, with many netizens pointing out how comfortable the boys appeared while being recorded, suggesting that this may not have been the first time such bullying had occurred.
Some netizens have also called for transparency regarding the punishment of the students involved, urging the school to disclose the disciplinary actions taken to reassure the public that appropriate measures had been implemented.
Many argued that counselling alone was insufficient and called for harsher punishments, believing that leniency would only encourage further bullying.
Chan Chun Sing Yet to Address Montfort Bullying Incident
Despite the widespread attention, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing has not addressed the incident.
Many netizens have taken to his Facebook page, urging him to take action against school bullying.
One user asked what his position was on the Montfort bullying case.
Another commenter said it was time to prioritise school bullying issues.
A frustrated user urged the minister to take action immediately, warning that waiting until a fatal case occurred would be too late.
Others called for stronger measures, with one stating that the bullying issue was traumatic for both children and parents.
The user added that if the bullies from Montfort Secondary School had not yet been expelled, then it was time for the school management and the minister himself to step down.
Another user raised concerns about the broader trend of school bullying, noting that incidents are now often recorded for entertainment.
They pointed out that while bullying has always existed, it is now being filmed and shared.
The user also highlighted the growing trend of parents reporting cases directly to the police instead of addressing them with the school, raising questions about how such incidents are being handled.
As of now, neither Chan nor his social media administrators have responded to the comments regarding the Montfort Secondary School bullying case.
Comments on Instagram have also been limited.
While comments on TikTok are allowed, there have been no comments from the Minister or his administrators.
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