Cyber Bullying of Teachers

Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Education (a) whether there are any measures in place to deter attempts by students to cyber bully their teachers; and (b) to what extent have schools stepped in to institute both educative and strong deterrent measures to ensure cyber bullying of teachers does not continue.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education (Mr Hawazi Daipi) (for the Minister for Education): Sir, our schools teach cyber wellness based on the principles of "Respect for Self and Others" and "Safe and Responsible Use" of technology and these principles guide students in their actions in cyberspace. Students learn to respect others by thinking through what they publish online so that they do not hurt others.

It has been our strong belief that the inculcation of the values of respect and responsibility is fundamental to the education of our students; and hence the emphasis on values education in the Citizenship and Character Education curriculum. That is what we have been doing, and will continue to do. It is, however, imperative that students understand that cyberspace has its unique set of challenges and therefore, specific focus had been placed on cyber wellness.

Currently, cyber wellness topics are integrated into the instructional materials for Civic and Moral Education (CME), English Language and Mother Tongue Languages where appropriate. For primary schools, cyber wellness is also being delivered through the Form Teachers' Guidance Periods. Moving forward, for secondary schools, each level from Secondary 1 to Secondary 4 or 5 will have four hours dedicated to the learning of cyber wellness in the CCE curriculum. This will be rolled out progressively from 2013.

Aside, resources are also provided to support schools in planning and implementing their cyber wellness programmes. These resources equip students with proper netiquette and strategies for self management in cyberspace. Issues such as cyber bullying, for example, harassment or flaming, are discussed.

Students who have engaged in cyber bullying of whether peers or teachers are dealt with by the schools and the actions would typically involve having students understand why their action is wrong and where warranted, appropriate disciplinary action.

Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Sir, I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for his response. Given the fiduciary relationship between teachers and students, and the need for mutual respect between the two, what more can be done for local deterrent measures within schools to reduce cyber bullying by pupils of their own teachers?

Mr Hawazi Daipi: Sir, generally, we want to inculcate in students good habits and the right values. If they know what is right, what is wrong, what is good, what is bad, and the consequences of their behaviour, they will be able to conduct themselves well, either in their personal interactions or in cyberspace. That is principle number one. Appropriate actions will be taken against students who indulge in bullying, whether physical bullying, emotional bullying or cyber bullying, whether it is against teachers or fellow students, appropriate actions will be taken. They range from counselling and advice to some more serious actions.

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Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Chua Chu Kang): Sir, I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for giving us the explanation. I just want to ask for a clarification in terms of the number of students or teachers having such cases reported. A couple of years ago, there was a survey by Touch Community Services, whereby 25% to 35% of our students said they have faced some form of cyber-bullying or other. So, the question is really effectiveness, and whether we are able to prevent such acts.

Mr Hawazi Daipi: Sir, I do not have information of that survey. However, we should look at surveys conducted by various organisations in the proper context, whether, firstly, they are representative of the situation. We can be easily alarmed by instances of bullying against teachers or against fellow students. However, if we look at the data collected by MOE and schools, it is not a major problem. Nevertheless, we understand that it may be a growing problem in future because our students are exposed to cyberspace and they must learn to behave responsibly. That is why we would like for schools to work with parents so that parents are equally educated on how to manage and how to educate their children on how to navigate cyberspace. In a nutshell, I would say that we should take a look at surveys conducted by various organisations in the proper context.