Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Central Executive Committee member Stephanie Tan has urged the Ministry of Education (MOE) to implement a transparent process for handling school bullying cases, arguing that current “good practices” are inadequate.
In a Facebook post on 18 August 2025, Tan responded to a widely publicised case at Sengkang Green Primary School, where a Primary 3 student was allegedly bullied for months, and her mother received death threats after raising complaints.
Tan said that while MOE previously stated it would share good practices with schools and review strategies, this approach does not provide sufficient safeguards for students.
Instead, she argued, a consistent process must be applied across all schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), with strict timelines for investigations.
P3 girl bullied for 6 months at Sengkang Green Primary; mum gets death threat after complaint
The Sengkang Green case, shared online on 14 August by parent Ni Yin, described how her nine-year-old daughter endured verbal and physical bullying by three male classmates. Allegations included racial slurs, shoving, and prolonged harassment.
Ni claimed the school failed to act despite repeated reports. On 24 July, her daughter told her: “Mummy, I don’t want to go to school anymore.”
Days later, Ni said she received anonymous calls and graphic voice messages, including one allegedly from a bully, threatening to “dissect” or “kill” her daughter.
Her phone number was reportedly leaked by another parent.
Police, MOE, and the family’s MP were alerted.
Despite this, Ni alleged her daughter was assaulted on three further occasions in August, including once returning home with a bruise.
The child has since stopped attending school and is receiving psychological support.
Parent’s plea for accountability
On 15 August, the school confirmed the suspension of three students, who will undergo counselling and may face caning.
However, it added that Ni’s daughter had also “engaged in hurtful behaviours”.
Ni strongly denied this, accusing the school of shifting blame. She is now seeking a school transfer and accountability measures.
In her viral post, Ni said her only demand was for schools to guarantee safe and respectful environments for children.
“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 wrote.
Tan calls for transparent system
Tan said the case had brought the handling of bullying cases in Singapore schools “back to the fore”.
“As a parent of two young children, I fully understand and relate to the anxiety and pain of having to witness your child endure rejection and bullying from others, and it can be made so much worse when complaints are mishandled and victim-blaming occurs,” she wrote.
Referring to parliamentary questions raised in October 2024, Tan noted that MOE’s response then was limited to emphasising good practices and strategic reviews.
She argued that this approach leaves parents vulnerable to the discretion of individual schools.
“In my view, ‘good practices’ are insufficient. There should be a transparent process for handling bullying complaints, applied equally across all schools and IHLs,” Tan stated.
She further suggested that investigations should ideally be conducted by a neutral party, independent of the school.
If not feasible, she said MOE should at least actively monitor all investigations to ensure due process and timeliness.
Proposals for improvement
Tan also recommended wider installation of closed-circuit cameras in schools and IHLs.
This, she argued, would provide objective evidence in cases where complaints often hinge on conflicting accounts, preventing prolonged delays.
She warned that time is critical in such cases. Parents of victims, she said, are frequently torn between sending their children back into unsafe environments or keeping them home, which affects their education.
“The mental trauma caused to victims of bullying is never completely ‘cured’ by counselling. Many victims carry their scars into adulthood,” she added.
Tan concluded that without a transparent, standardised process overseen by a higher authority, parents are left “at the mercies of the school staff and their management style and efficiency—or lack thereof.”
Oct 2024 parliamentary debate highlights stable bullying figures but questions raised on long-term trends
During the parliamentary session on 14 October 2024, then-Education Minister Chan Chun Sing addressed concerns regarding school bullying trends.
He revealed that the number of reported bullying incidents in schools has remained stable over the past five years, with an average of two incidents per 1,000 primary school students and six per 1,000 secondary students annually. Incidents involving technology were reported at fewer than one per 1,000 secondary students and even lower at the primary level.
This discussion was prompted by cases including a video that surfaced showing students from Bukit View Secondary School bullying a peer, which was later confirmed to have occurred in October 2023.
Chan reassured MPs that the MOE equips students with pro-social skills through the Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum, which includes lessons on kindness and conflict resolution. Teachers are trained to foster a supportive environment and proactively address bullying.
He explained that disciplinary actions are determined based on the severity of incidents, with options ranging from detention and suspension to caning for boys as a last-resort measure. Serious cases may be referred to the police.
However, Chan emphasised the importance of balancing punishment with rehabilitation, cautioning against counterproductive actions on social media. He stressed the need to give perpetrators a chance to reform.
Hazel Poa, then-Non-Constituency MP challenged the sufficiency of a five-year timeframe for assessing bullying trends, arguing that social behaviour patterns may take longer to emerge and suggested a review period of 20 years.
In response, Chan acknowledged the absence of 20-year data and highlighted the recent inclusion of incidents occurring outside school in their records.
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