WRITTEN NOTICE OF EXPULSION TO STUDENTS

Mr Cheo Chai Chen asked the Minister for Education whether his Ministry will provide instructions to all principals of schools to give written notices to the parents before expelling students from the schools.

Mr Lee Yock Suan: Schools discipline and counsel recalcitrant pupils to improve their behaviour. They also keep parents informed of their children's misdemeanours and work with them to help improve their children's attitude.

A student is expelled from school only if he commits a very serious offence such as assault and if allowing him to remain in school would threaten the safety of staff and other pupils and undermine order and discipline in the school. Expulsion is only used as a last resort when other measures such as counselling, suspension and caning have no effect on improving the student's conduct.

Throughout, parents would have been kept informed and their help sought, all with the aim of reforming the student. When expulsion is unavoidable, parents are not caught by surprise by the action. There would have been many warnings that the situation is becoming intolerable. There is therefore no need for schools to give written notice to parents before expelling recalcitrant students.