SINGAPORE – For Mrs Sher-li Torrey, the news that every school in Singapore will follow standardised disciplinary measures in cases of bullying brought a sense of cautious relief.
The 49-year-old, whose daughter has faced bullying in the past, believes a national baseline is a step towards fairness.
“Bullying can be very subjective, and in some ways, having a clearer definition of what constitutes bullying and the respective punishments would ensure that, as a starting point, at least parents and educators are on the same page,” the founder of career portal Mums@Work said.
Mrs Torrey is among the parents who welcome the clearer standards set by the Ministry of Education (MOE), following new anti-bullying measures announced on April 15.
They say some steps – including a new online reporting channel and more resources for schools – address longstanding concerns about transparency and whether teachers are adequately supported to handle the complexities of bullying.
The nine recommendations, which will be gradually implemented from 2026, were born from a year-long review involving 2,000 parents, educators and other stakeholders.
These include standardised disciplinary measures across all schools, including caning and suspension, more timely and consistent updates from schools to parents, a new online reporting channel and more funding for schools that need support in managing bullying cases.
But some parents question how promptly schools will provide updates and whether victims who report cases will be safe. They also hope equal attention will be given to restorative work, with counselling and reflection prioritised for all affected parties.
While MOE has assured timely communication, parents said this may be applied differently across schools.
Drawing from her own experience, in which a teacher provided updates every three days when her daughter, then aged 11, faced bullying in school, Mrs Torrey said a prompt response is assuring for parents.
“I personally think it’s good for teachers to inform parents within three hours of a bullying case being brought to their attention,” she said, so parents can hear both sides of the story. “Sometimes, when parents learn about something through their kids, their emotions may take over.”
Parents said that having an online reporting channel will help, as students may not always feel comfortable speaking directly to their form teachers. But those who report incidents – especially victims – must be protected, they added.
Ms Nora Khamis, a mother of two, said that roping in a neutral third-party investigator or counsellor may be helpful in some cases, so that there is less of a conflict of interest.
“These third parties also would not have responsibilities like a teacher does and would have more time to manage incidents of bullying,” said the 45-year-old, who works in the legal industry.
