EXPULSION OF STUDENTS (Statistics and guidelines)

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan asked the Minister for Education (a) how many students, by levels, were expelled from schools for each year from 2000 to 2002; (b) whether these numbers had been increasing over the years; (c) what are the current guidelines provided by the Ministry to school principals regarding the expulsion of students; (d) what help and counselling these students are given or can turn to before and after expulsion; and (e) whether the Ministry can provide clear guidelines and assistance for their re-admission to schools, instead of asking the students and their parents to apply directly to the schools.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam (for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, the number of students expelled at the primary level was 0 in year 2000, three in year 2001 and four in year 2002. For the secondary level, the statistics were 118 in 2000, 164 in 2001 and 94 in 2002. At the pre-university level, it was six in 2000 and none in 2001 and 2002.

The number of students expelled at the primary level has remained small over the last three years, and I should clarify that out of the four who were expelled in year 2002, two of them were really drop-out cases who had Malaysian parents and went back to Malaysia. They have been technically classified as expulsion cases because of absenteeism but they are really drop-out cases. For the secondary and pre-university levels, there has been a falling trend. This can be attributed to the measures put in place by schools, junior colleges and centralised institutes to instill good discipline in their students and to sustain their interest in schooling.

A student is expelled if he commits a very serious offence such as assault, and if allowing him to remain would threaten the safety of other students or undermine school discipline. There are also some cases of expulsion on account of persistent absenteeism. Expulsion is only done as a last resort when measures such as counselling, suspension and other disciplinary measures have had no effect on improving the student's conduct or discipline. The Ministry does not have a set of guidelines on expulsion which principals have to follow. The principal has the full authority to decide on the expulsion of recalcitrant students. The principal is in the best position to decide when a student should be removed from the school for serious misdemeanours so as to maintain discipline and good order for the safety and welfare of all students in the school.

Schools take a proactive approach to ensure that students remain interested in schooling. The proactive measures that schools adopt include pastoral care, life-skills and career guidance programmes which are aimed at helping students build self esteem, take responsibility for their own actions and develop purposefulness in life. Each school has in place a formal structure involving the Principal, Vice-Principal and teacher counsellors, together with external agencies, such as the self-help groups and family service centres to counsel and assist students with behavioural problems.

The intervention measures that schools adopt include counselling the students with the involvement of the parents. Schools also work quite closely with the parents.

Dr Amy Khor also asked about readmission to schools. Students who have been expelled can be readmitted to another school. Having students apply directly to the new school for readmission is part of the process of helping them turn over a new leaf. In personally seeking readmission to the new school, the student will have the chance to explain why he is deserving of a second chance. The student will have to give an undertaking to his new principal that he would take personal responsibility for his conduct and attitude. This has been found to be an effective approach in helping the student value his education and eventually improve in the new school environment. MOE has also assisted, where necessary, in the readmission of students who have in fact approached various schools. Where necessary, MOE will assist in their readmission. Upon readmission, the school will provide guidance and counselling to the student to help him maintain good behaviour. Ultimately, however, the student must have a desire to learn and benefit from the educational opportunities offered to him.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan (Hong Kah): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to inform the Senior Minister of State for Education that I have come across students and parents who are very frustrated because they cannot get into any school after expulsion. I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State whether the present ranking system actually discourages principals from admitting such students, because it will pull down the overall ranking of the school. Could the Ministry actually consider such cases if the principal admits them and whether the results of such students could be waived from the overall school ranking or make an exception, so that it will not be so frustrating for these students? Otherwise, they will end up as juvenile delinquents.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: Mr Speaker, Sir, I would not drag the ranking system into this. The number of students expelled is actually very small, to begin with. And it is not that students are expelled for performing badly academically as such. They are behaving badly, and they are affecting the quality of the school environment.

The student has to have the desire to learn and conform with what the school considers to be appropriate conduct. That is the main criterion. Students who fail to get readmission are usually those who are not able to convince the new school to take them in, that they have reformed, that they have turned over a new leaf, and that they are going to put in that extra effort. That is the reason why they are unable to get in. There are some cases where a student is genuine, remorseful, wants to turn over a new leaf, and the parents are backing up the student. And in those cases where the student is really unable to find a school, the Ministry of Education will step in to see what we can do to help.

Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang): Sir, of the 94 students who were expelled from school in 2002, were they all disciplinary cases and how serious were they? Secondly, how many of these 94 expelled students were readmitted to our school system?

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: The vast majority of cases that are expelled are on account of very serious and repeat disciplinary offences. An expulsion comes only after repeated counselling, not just of the student but also the parents.

How many will be readmitted? I do not think it is possible to put a number on it, because it is really up to the students and the parents rather than the school. I can assure the House that schools go through great effort to prevent the situation from coming to the point at which expulsion is really necessary. So, it is not a situation of schools being quick on the draw.

Assoc. Prof. Ngiam Tee Liang (Nominated Member): Sir, there have been cases of juveniles who have been sent to welfare homes, and the probation officers and the staff of the welfare homes face difficulties in getting them readmitted. So, we can say that there is this group of students who pose sufficient behavioural or disciplinary problems and they cannot be readmitted. What is the future for this group of students, if we do not find ways and means to get them readmitted to school and to prepare them for employment in future?

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: For students who have been rehabilitated and who have changed their conduct and are keen to learn, we will find them a place in schools. I do not know of the specific cases the hon. Member is talking about. But where it is clear that the student has reformed and the home in question is vouching for the student, we should be able to find him a place in a school.

The reason why schools do not take expelled students back has nothing to do with a lack of capacity in the system. It has to do with the fact that the student and his parents have not shown that genuine desire to take school seriously.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, whilst we talk about compulsory education in an effort to get everybody to be educated and employable, is the Ministry of Education not concerned about these 100-odd average students who were expelled from schools and may not be given a chance to go back to school, because the principal may think that they have not turned over a new leaf? But who is to decide at the end of the day? They do not seem to be given a chance. Does the Ministry check on what is happening to these expelled students? How genuine is it that these students cannot turn over a new leaf at all? Or is the principals' concern that by admitting such students, they are inviting problems to their schools?

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: First, let me reiterate that the number is very small. If we compute them as a percentage of all students, it will be a very small percentage.

Second, let me reiterate that schools do not expel students lightly. It is usually after several months of counselling of both student and parent before this action is taken.

We should not institutionalise the system by having the Ministry of Education arrange for readmission of students automatically into another school. There has to be more than a modicum of effort required on the part of the student and his parents to gain readmission to a school. That effort is required. It should not be too easy to get readmission to a school, because then we change the whole process, which requires that the student really turns over a new leaf before getting readmission. If it is a process of central allocation, the student can bring a Ministry of Education letter to the principal and say, "Please readmit me." He does not have to change his conduct and his parents do not have to vouch for him.

So, yes, it is a system in which it is not smooth sailing for those students who have been expelled to gain readmission. But that is probably for the better.

Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung (Sembawang): May I ask the Senior Minister of State whether there is a duty on the part of the school to report to the Ministry of Education when a student has been expelled and the reasons for doing so? And, if there is any dispute between the school and the students, is there any process through which they can appeal directly to the Ministry of Education to look into the case and perhaps mediate on the case? If the students have great difficulty in seeking readmission to another school, not because they do not want to change over a new leaf but because the new school's principal may think that it is not appropriate to have such troublemakers in the school, what is the best approach the Ministry would suggest to students in that predicament?

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: There are two parts to the question: one, on the process of expulsion, and the other on the process of readmission.

On the process of expulsion, the Ministry respects the authority of the principal. The principal reports all such cases to the Ministry and they give the reasons. If we come across a case where it is clearly a matter of poor judgment on the part of the school, we will want to do something. But we have not come across such cases, and we trust our principals to make good judgments. The basic point is that schools go through great effort in trying to prevent such a situation from happening before they really expel a student.

On readmission, yes, the Ministry does step in to assist where it finds that a student is genuine in wanting to gain readmission and is unable to get a place despite trying. Those are the cases where we think it is worthwhile stepping in to assist.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: May I ask the Minister whether it would be possible for the Ministry of Education - in any case, the Ministry of Education has done it for certain cases - to accept the applications for readmission and to evaluate the suitability or genuine sincerity of the students to be readmitted and then match them to schools? Because there are many cases where the principals, for various reasons, do not want to admit them and the students actually go from school to school to apply for readmission before they finally come to see us.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: In many ways, it touches on the same point. The basic point is that the initiative has to come from the student and his parents. I do not think it is desirable to have a system where the Ministry of Education manages this centrally, where we keep track, try to match students, try to ascertain their tone of behaviour and see whether it has reached the point where we can say, yes, he has crossed the mark and he is now to be put back in school. It should be left to the student and his parents to be convinced that they really want readmission to a school. And where they are convinced and they seek readmission to a school and are unable to find a school that will take them in, then we will step in. So, we should not go for a system where the Ministry of Education centrally manages this and tries desperately hard to reduce the figures; in other words, to try to get readmission of all students who are expelled. I do not think that would be good for the system.

Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir): Sir, the Senior Minister of State says that the school gives guidance and counselling to pupils. Does this counselling include the help of a psychiatrist? The purpose of employing a psychiatrist is to find out the underlying problem of a child, and whether he apparently has disciplinary problems. There may be some very good reasons for the disciplinary problems of a child, and I think a psychiatrist is the best person to find out what is the problem of the child. Is the Ministry thinking of employing a psychiatrist to give counselling to students?

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: Mr Speaker, Sir, there are several layers to the counselling process, starting with the teacher, going on to professional counsellors and, sometimes, involving external agencies.

I do not know how many cases there have been where specialist psychiatrists were called in. I would not be surprised if the cases were few. But it is really for the school to manage and draw on the appropriate counselling resources. The professional counsellors that are engaged by the schools are well-trained. They are trained in some element of psychiatry as well. They are not professional psychiatrists, but where it is really a case that is more involved and requires specialist expertise, schools will be able to draw on the right resources.

Ms Braema Mathiaparanam: In the absence of a good role model where parents are concerned, how can such a child get a form of readmission into a school? Secondly, would the Ministry of Education consider - although it is a very small problem, it is cumulative year by year - whether there could be an interface kind of school, perhaps falling back on the old model of the SAF Boys' School, or an equivalent for girls?

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: In the case of students who do not have parents, they will typically be in a welfare home, where we will be able to seek the home's views and advice. So the views of homes or of probation officers would certainly be taken into account. These cases are few, and we deal with them case by case quite sympathetically.

What was your second question, Ms Braema?

Ms Braema Mathiaparanam: If it is 100 plus 100 yearly, we cannot just have them out there. Is there any form of agency or a system?

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: To begin with, the number is not large. Quite frankly, if you compare us to any other school system, I would say the rate of drop-out is lower in Singapore. And we would like to keep the discipline in the system, which is a system that says that if you come to the point where you are expelled, you had better put in a lot of effort before you get back in. That is the basic discipline.

Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman (Sembawang): Sir, would the Senior Minister of State consider the fact that the students have to move from one school to another to gain readmission is indicative that principals are using different kinds of criteria because they are the same cases, unless the students tell different stories to different principals? Does the Ministry have any guidelines in this regard?

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: There are no formal guidelines. But I think principals exercise quite good judgment in most cases. Sometimes, of course, it is a case where the level that the person is trying to get back into is up to full capacity in a particular school. We do not have a problem for the system as a whole. But for a particular school, it may be literally full up.

Secondly, it may be a matter of the student not being able to convince one principal but being able to convince another because the case is at the borderline. Matters of judgment are involved. But I think we can trust our principals to make good judgments in all these cases.

Assoc. Prof. Ngiam Tee Liang: I would just like to follow up on this issue of helping schools which are keen to help but maybe they need extra help with some of the more difficult cases. I think a case is made where principals, if they are not given additional resources and the Ministry says, "Well, you deal with it. If you want it, it is at your risk", then where is the incentive for them to take back these youths? I am just wondering whether the Ministry of Education could actually encourage, and there is some way to give them some incentive or reward, so that it would be an example for other schools, or best practice. I think we want schools to be inclusive, not exclusive. And until we have compulsory education, even if the number is small, we are talking about precious human resources. We know that if we go the extra mile, many of them would turn out to be very productive.

Mr Speaker: What is your question, Prof. Ngiam?

Assoc. Prof. Ngiam Tee Liang: Sir, my question is: are we doing enough to help the schools so that they do not just take the line of least resistance, and the poor kid has to go from school to school in order to finally find a place? And some do not even get readmission finally.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: First, I do not know of any cases where a student who is genuinely keen to come back is unable to find a place in school. Where, in fact, there is difficulty being encountered, the Ministry of Education does step in to help.

Second, schools do not take the line of least resistance. There have been many students who have gained readmission to schools even where the student is not performing well or might require a great deal of resources and attention. They had been taken back in. So it does show that, in fact, our principals are not bloody minded about it.

Mdm Ho Geok Choo (West Coast): I just wonder how does the principal of the school that has expelled the student convince the principal of another school who may be prepared to actually admit the student. From what I understand, sometimes the students do seek reference from the principal of the school that expelled the students. So are there any guidelines which MOE provides to the principals of schools that there should be some objectivity to be observed in the event that a decision has to be taken in considering the readmission of the expelled student?

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: I think principals have a good understanding of this. They know that if a student is expelled from a particular school, he does not gain readmission into that particular school. So there is no adverse implication in an expelled student having to go to another school. There is no implication of the first school having not been convinced as to whether the student is someone who should be taken back as such. Very often, you will find a principal of a school which has expelled a student taking in a student who has been expelled from another school, if he is convinced that the student has turned over a new leaf.