SINGAPORE: Calls have grown for the Ministry of Education (MOE) to establish a dedicated task force and take tougher action against bullying, following a case at Sengkang Green Primary School that has escalated into public controversy.
The case came to light on 14 August, when parent Ni Yin revealed online that her nine-year-old daughter, a Primary 3 student at Sengkang Green, had endured nearly six months of bullying from three male classmates.
Ni said the abuse involved racial slurs, mockery, and physical shoving. Despite repeated reports to the school, staff allegedly failed to take meaningful action.
On 24 July, Ni’s daughter returned home in tears and told her: “Mummy, I don’t want to go to school anymore.”
After coaxing her to share more, Ni discovered that her daughter had been seated beside two of the alleged bullies at the back of the classroom.
Requests to move her seat were rejected by the school, citing confidentiality concerns.
Death Threats and Harassment
What began as a classroom bullying complaint soon escalated into a more serious matter after Ni lodged a formal written complaint with the school on 26 July.
Within hours, she began receiving harassing phone calls from unknown numbers.
She later received graphic voice messages, including one allegedly from one of the accused boys, threatening to “dissect” or “kill” her daughter. Ni claimed her phone number had been leaked by another parent.
The incident was reported to the police, MOE, and their Member of Parliament (MP). The Singapore Police Force confirmed to CNA and Zaobao that a police report had been filed.
Ni alleged that even after the report, her daughter was assaulted on three more occasions in August, including once returning home with a visible bruise.
The child has since stopped attending school and is receiving psychological support.
School Response and Parent’s Plea
On 15 August, the school confirmed that it had suspended the three students allegedly responsible for making threats.
They were counselled and face further disciplinary action, including possible caning, pending police investigations.
However, the school also stated that its internal probe found Ni’s daughter had also “engaged in hurtful behaviours.”
Ni strongly denied this, accusing the school of shifting blame rather than addressing the issue.
She is now requesting a transfer for her daughter and broader accountability from the authorities.
In an open letter, Ni wrote that she wanted an immediate transfer for her daughter, disciplinary action and counselling for the students involved, accountability for staff who allegedly failed to act, and a transparent, trackable anti-bullying reporting system across schools.
“From beginning to end, my demand has been simple: that children be able to study and grow in an environment that is safe, respectful, and just. This is not only my daughter’s right — it is the most basic right of every student,” she said.
Ni also referenced a 2021 suicide case at the same school, questioning whether systemic failures in school management could be contributing to repeated tragedies.
Netizens Urge MOE to Take Firm Action Against Bullying
The bullying case has prompted widespread public concern and intense discussion online.
Across Reddit and media platforms such as CNA and Mothership’s Facebook pages, the issue has drawn more than 2,000 comments.
Many netizens urged MOE to take firmer action against bullying, including imposing harsher punishments and establishing a dedicated task force to deal with such cases.
“There should be very robust frameworks to handle cases like that,” one user wrote.
Another asked: “How many of these cases do we need before MOE decides that this is an issue that requires a much closer look?”
Criticism of School’s Response
Beyond punishing the perpetrators, some netizens demanded that MOE investigate the school, arguing that teachers should face disciplinary action for failing to protect the victim.
“The school, the principal, and especially the form teacher have failed this girl. As the authorities in the school, they are responsible for protecting students and ensuring a safe learning environment,” one comment read.
The user added that if cases had to go viral before schools took meaningful action, MOE should re-examine the qualifications of educators and whether they were truly committed to their roles.
Concerns Over Victim-Blaming
Others expressed frustration at what they perceived as victim-blaming by the school.
“Instead of focusing on the actions of the bullies, the school chose to emphasise the inappropriate behaviour of the victim,” one user commented, arguing that the bullies should be expelled and that their parents must take responsibility for their children’s conduct.
Demands for Harsher Punishment
Many members of the public argued that suspension was insufficient, calling for more severe consequences such as expulsion, juvenile detention, or even reinstating public caning.
“A three-day suspension from school does nothing, especially being at home with trash parents who enable bullying,” one user wrote.
The user argued that bullying should be swiftly dealt with by public caning, and that sending death threats should result in expulsion.
Others expressed frustration at excessive leniency.
“Sometimes giving chances to teens is as good as condoning their behaviour. People say they are young and deserve chances to repent — yes, but what about the hurt they caused and the scars they left behind?” one commenter said.
PSP’s Stephanie Tan calls for transparent process in handling school bullying complaints
Responding to the issue, Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Central Executive Committee member Stephanie Tan urged the Ministry of Education (MOE) to go beyond sharing “good practices” with schools and instead establish a transparent, standardised process for handling bullying cases.
In a Facebook post on 18 August 2025, Tan said the current approach was inadequate as it lacked safeguards to ensure schools respond consistently and effectively.
She argued that a clear framework should be applied across all schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), with strict timelines for investigations to ensure cases are addressed promptly and fairly.
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