SCHOOL BULLYING

SCHOOL BULLYING: 16.

Assoc. Prof. Kalyani K Mehta asked the Minister for Education (a) whether teachers are trained to detect and address the phenomenon of school bullying; (b) whether there are clear policies for principals to follow when such incidences occur in their schools; and (c) whether there are protocols for teachers to follow when students complain to them about a bullying incident either as a victim or bystander and, if not, when will such procedures be considered for implementation.

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The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education (Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M) (for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, bullying in schools is regarded as a serious matter, and classified as a serious disciplinary offence. The short answer to all the three questions is "Yes". Let me elaborate.

There is a clear policy for principals. MOE has issued discipline guidelines to all schools, and each school then formulates its own specific rules and procedures.

All schools have protocols for dealing with discipline issues, including bullying. A whole-school approach with a clear referral system is generally used. This referral system provides teachers with the necessary steps to take in dealing with discipline cases and informs them of the different channels, including external agencies, that they can seek help from. It also helps to ensure that teachers are better able to manage discipline cases, including bullying. Schools investigate all reported incidents of bullying and work to resolve them quickly.

Teachers are trained in pupil management during their pre-service training and this is reinforced during their practicum and as they learn on the job. They are also supported by more senior teachers and Heads of Department in dealing with discipline matters. To further support teachers, MOE developed a "School Bullying Management Kit" which was shared with all secondary schools recently. The kit further enhances the school personnel's knowledge of what bullying is, how they can reach out to and assist students who have been bullied and how teachers can help students respond to bullying. Plans are underway to develop a similar kit for primary schools.

MOE has also developed online resources, such as the Discipline Resource Kit for the management of discipline, and the Social Emotional Learning Website to

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help schools equip their students with knowledge and skills to handle challenging situations.

However, I wish to say that despite the best efforts of our teachers and schools, there may be cases of bullying which go unnoticed or where victims do not show signs of being bullied. We welcome feedback from parents to help our schools better identify potential problems and nip them in the bud.

Assoc. Prof. Kalyani K Mehta (Nominated Member): Thank you very much for the response. I believe that there has been feedback from teachers and counsellors at the recent "Bully-Free Campaign" held by the Singapore Children's Society where a number of them mentioned in their feedback that they do not have a clear policy in their school with regard to school bullying per se. So I am wondering whether placing school bullying under the discipline category sometimes creates some confusion because, as we know, there are many grey areas in the definition of school bullying. So I would like to ask whether there is a clear definition of school bullying that all schools are aware of and whether any specialised training is offered to counsellors and teachers on school bullying per se.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Our schools define bullying as hurting, frightening or intimidating others using power or strength. Our full-time and part-time counsellors as well as teachers are given adequate training to deal with the issue.

Dr Lily Neo: Sir, may I ask the SPS what is the prevalence of school bullying in our schools? Does he have the figures, types and severity of school bullying? If not, will he consider conducting studies on that? Lastly, what is MOE's stand on school bullying?

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Mr Speaker: Mr Masagos, you have two minutes left to answer all those questions.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Sir, the last question, first. MOE takes a very serious view of bullying. Every incident reported is investigated as a whole-school approach. The incidence of bullying is also quite low in our schools. It is about 1.9 or two per 1,000 in primary schools and about five per 1,000 in secondary schools, and it is about the same for the last few years.