More clear & timely communication needed in bullying cases: Desmond Lee on what MOE can do better

Minister for Education Desmond Lee emphasised the Ministry of Education (MOE) needs to "pay more attention to clear and timely communication".

In his opening remarks before a dialogue with educators, parents and Compass members, Lee shared that in some cases, communications to the parents could have been delayed due to schools needing time to establish the facts, thereby unintentionally causing parents and children to feel anxious.

Lee also reiterated MOE's zero-tolerance stance on bullying, stating that they will do more to guide and support the children.

As such, MOE has identified four key areas to do "deep dives into" and will engage with stakeholders to develop solutions for these areas.

The consultations and discussions will continue till the end of 2025, and MOE will share its key recommendations and follow-up actions in the first half of 2026.

Zero-tolerance

Since taking office at MOE, Lee said he sought to better understand how his colleagues at MOE and schools approach bullying cases.

He had heard from schools dealing with the challenges of investigating and intervening in complex bullying cases. He had received messages from parents sharing their pain about how bullying has affected their children.

Teachers have also shared a desire to protect and care for every student, while also disciplining hurtful behaviours in the classroom and engaging parents who are impacted by such incidents.

Lee acknowledged that parents were understandably more anxious and concerned after recent cases like the Sengkang Green bullying case, the video of a student pointing a knife at another student, and the Montfort Secondary School case, among others.

He also reiterated that bullying cannot be condoned.

"Let me be clear from the onset that any form of hurtful behaviour is wrong and unacceptable. We do not, and will not condone bullying and hurtful behaviour."

Internal review

Lee shared that MOE has been conducting a comprehensive internal review since the beginning of 2025 to improve existing structures and processes, thereby better addressing bullying and hurtful behaviour in schools.

Through these regular reviews, Lee said they found that despite the frameworks in place, MOE needs to pay more attention to clear and timely communication.

In addition, he pointed out that children in today's day and age need to navigate social situations and relationships that are becoming increasingly complex, with numerous interactions occurring on online platforms such as WhatsApp, Discord, and others.

He also stated that there is more that MOE can achieve if parents and teachers work together closely.

"We need to enhance our system, so that we continue to strengthen trust and communication between parents and teachers, between parents and schools."

From there, MOE identified four key areas where, in the next phase of its review, it will engage stakeholders, including parents, parents' support groups, educators, professionals, and the community, to develop solutions and action items.

Strengthen school culture, environment and processes

To continue strengthening school culture, environment, and processes, MOE will enhance school policies on bullying and hurtful behaviour, which includes reviewing the framework for discipline, rehabilitation, and restorative practices, said Lee.

This will emphasise that the school community does not tolerate such behaviour.

While reporting channels are available for students who experience bullying, the MOE will make these channels more accessible to students.

They will also enhance peer support and cultivate a culture of kindness and respect in our schools, where "students and educators practise their values in everyday situations, lift one another up and stand up for one another”.

Greater emphasis on value education

Lee added that MOE will incorporate more real-life scenarios through the Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) programme, helping students understand the impact of their actions.

They will also engage students through contemporary examples to help them "develop empathy" and "practise perspective-taking, problem-solving and conflict-resolution”.

Support schools and educators

Lee stated that the MOE will provide support to schools and educators through professional development, exploring the use of technology to enhance their work and deepen their capacity.

Enhance school-home partnership

To enable parents and schools to work together, MOE will enhance school-home partnerships, continuing to build trust and work with parents.

"Through positive adult role-modelling, both at home and in the classroom, as well as closer monitoring of our children's offline and online interactions, we can provide stronger support for their character development," said Lee.

MOE will also continue to work with parents to help their children navigate the challenges when they experience hurtful behaviour or when they have caused hurt to others.

The consultations and discussions with stakeholders will continue until the end of 2025, and MOE will share its key recommendations and follow-up actions in the first half of 2026, Lee stated.

Members of the public can give their feedback on how to handle bullying here.

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Top photo via Khoo Wen-En/Mothership