SINGAPORE, April 15 — All schools in Singapore will be required to adopt standardised disciplinary measures in handling student misconduct, including bullying, by 2027, as the Ministry of Education moves to ensure greater consistency across institutions,.
According to The Straits Times, Education Minister Desmond Lee said the new framework will set minimum penalties for serious offences, including up to three days of detention or suspension, or both, for first-time offenders, along with possible adjustment of conduct grades.
In some cases, first-time offenders may also be caned once, with repeat offenders facing up to three strokes.
Speaking on the recommendations from the ministry’s year-long review on bullying, Lee said the standardisation is aimed at ensuring schools apply a common baseline while still retaining discretion based on individual circumstances.
“Having some standardisation gives everyone the assurance that our schools have a common guideline that seeks to ensure greater consistency of practice and more meting out of disciplinary measures,” he was quoted as saying.
He added that schools would continue to exercise autonomy as they are best placed to understand their students, but must also consider mitigating factors such as age, maturity, special educational needs and mental well-being before administering punishment.
The Ministry of Education said bullying and hurtful behaviour cases will be differentiated, with bullying assessed based on factors such as intent, impact and recalcitrance.
Other measures include improved reporting channels, with a new online system to be introduced by 2027 allowing students to directly report bullying incidents, alongside updated incident reporting forms.
Parents will also receive more timely updates during investigations, with schools expected to immediately acknowledge reports and provide clearer timelines on follow-up actions.
According to the report, MOE’s review, which involved more than 2,000 participants including students, parents and educators, comes amid growing scrutiny of how schools handle bullying cases following several high-profile incidents.
Recent data showed a slight rise in bullying rates between 2021 and 2025, from two to three cases per 1,000 primary school pupils and from six to eight cases per 1,000 secondary school students.
The ministry said the recommendations are intended to strengthen a more restorative and educative approach, while reinforcing collaboration between schools, parents, and the wider community.
