ILL DISCIPLINE IN SCHOOLS

Mrs Lim Hwee Hua asked the Minister for Education whether ill discipline is rising in schools and among students outside schools, and what measures are being taken to help stem such incidence.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education (Encik Mohamad Maidin B P M) (for the Minister for Education): Mrs Lim's question has got two parts. One is on the state of discipline, and the other is on measures taken by MOE to address discipline issues in schools.

On the first part, Sir, I must say that the overall state of discipline in our schools is good. Serious cases of breach of discipline are infrequent.

Up to now, since 1995, the Ministry of Education has implemented what we call the Behaviour Tracking and Analysis (BETA) system. This system collects data on the state of discipline in all schools. For primary schools, misdemeanours such as not doing assignments and disruptive behaviour, and attendance-related offences, constitute 84% of all the recorded offences. In secondary schools, 74% of the offences were attendance-related, namely, late-coming and truancy.

The BETA system, which I mentioned earlier, records up to now show no significant statistical change in the offence rates from 1995 to 1997. "Offence rates" in this case refer to the number of offences per 1,000 pupils. The data for 1998 show that the number of serious offences such as gangsterism and possession of weapons remaining close to that of 1997, and the number of cases of substance abuse falling from 272 in 1997 to 40 in 1998. However, the incidence of smoking has risen from 14 per 1,000 pupils over the three years, that is, 1995-1997, to 19 per 1,000 pupils in 1998.

The overall offence rate for boys has remained stable over the years, but a worrying trend is the increasing offence rate for girls in our secondary schools. Though lower than the male offence rates, the female offence rates have increased by 6% to 9% per year over the last four years, going up from 300 in 1995 to 456 in 1998.

A committee chaired by the Senior Minister of State for Education, Dr Aline Wong, was set up in May last year to look into the discipline situation among our girls in schools. The committee is finalising its recommendations.

On measures to address discipline issue in our schools, Sir, the Ministry's philosophy in this matter is that to care is to discipline. Schools by and large take a whole-person approach to discipline. They have many programmes and support structures to help promote discipline. Besides the creation of the posts of Discipline Master, Head/Pupil Welfare and, most recently, Operations Manager, there is also the Voluntary Special Constabulary Scheme where teachers assume the mantle of law enforcement officers to help reinforce an orderly school environment.

Teachers have been equipped with basic counselling skills and many spend much time counselling errant students. Such efforts are complemented by programmes like life skills and peer mediation. 1.30 pm

Mr Speaker: Order. End of Question time.

[Pursuant to Standing Order No. 21(3), Written answers to Question Nos. 12 and 14 on the Order Paper are reproduced in the section, "Oral Answers to Questions Not Reached" (Cols. 1411-1414). Questions for Oral. Question Nos. 15-23 have been postponed to the sitting on 5th May 1999. Question No. 13 has been postponed to the sitting on 6th May 1999.]