INVESTIGATIONS INTO ANONYMOUS ALLEGATIONS AGAINST TEACHERS

Mr L. P. Rodrigo asked the Minister for Education whether investigations are conducted into allegations against teachers which are contained in anonymous letters addressed to him or to any official in his Ministry or brought to his Ministry's notice; and how many investigations of this kind were undertaken in 1967.

The Minister for Education (Mr Ong Pang Boon): Mr Speaker, Sir, there are no hard and fast rules in regard to the action to be taken arising from anonymous complaints.

If the allegations are frivolous and obviously unfounded, the complaints are ignored. If they are of a serious nature and appear to be plausible, an investigation is carried out. If they are substantiated as a result of investigation, suitable remedial or disciplinary action is taken. If the results of the investigation show that the allegations are mischievous and unfounded, an attempt is made to trace the complainant and bring him to book. Such attempts have been successful in a number of cases although the complainants had written their letters anonymously and had given fictitious names and addresses. In 1967, no less than 189 investigations were carried out.

Mr L. P. Rodrigo (Serangoon Gardens): Mr Speaker, Sir, what has been the result of these 189 investigations? How many of them can be said to be warranted?

Mr Ong Pang Boon: Mr Speaker, Sir, all these 189 complaints warranted investigations. Those which appeared to be frivolous and mischievous had already been ignored.

Mr Rodrigo: Is the Minister able to state whether this evidently undesirable practice in which the accuser is never present will be discontinued in order to prevent a decline in morale in the teaching profession?

Mr Ong Pang Boon: Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have informed the House just now, 31 of these anonymous complaints were substantiated. There are various reasons why the complainants at times are not willing to disclose their identities. So long as we exercise caution, I think it is not necessary to discontinue this practice of taking up anonymous complaints which appear to be serious and also likely to be true.