A pupil from Sengkang Green Primary School has been caned for his involvement in bullying a female classmate, with the school acting “in a timely manner & took firm disciplinary action” according to the Ministry of Education (MOE).
The case involved three Primary 3 boys who were suspended after sending death threats and prank calls to the girl’s mother.
The girl, who had stopped attending school due to repeated bullying, will now return under a safety plan. Her parents, who had initially requested a transfer, agreed to let her continue at the school.
Facebook user Ni Yin, the girl’s mother, first publicised the matter on Aug 14 in a post accompanied by an audio recording of threats made against her and her family.
The threats were sent on July 26, a day after she lodged a complaint with the school.
The recording included explicit threats such as: “I might dissect her into pieces… Or end her life in school. Choose one. If not, I will k*ll you and your husband.”
The police confirmed a report had been filed and investigations are ongoing.
MOE’s Response
In an official statement, MOE said it does not condone bullying or hurtful behaviour of any kind, stressing that educators take such reports seriously by gathering facts and meting out disciplinary consequences in a timely manner.
“Schools adopt an educative and restorative approach paired with appropriate discipline measures to correct misbehaviour and reinforce the right values, especially for cases involving younger children,” the ministry said.
MOE confirmed that the children involved were a group of Primary 3 pupils, all aged nine, and that the school had taken prompt action after each report. This included suspensions, disciplinary measures, and caning where necessary.
The ministry also highlighted that the affected girl had herself engaged in hurtful behaviour on some occasions, including the use of racial slurs, and that the school had dealt with those incidents “in an even-handed manner.”
“MOE and schools take a firm stand against bullying and hurtful behaviour. We understand the anxieties of parents whose children may be affected by hurtful behaviour, and we urge parents to work closely with the school to support their child’s well-being,” the statement added.
It further criticised the decision to take the matter to social media: “When parents choose to publicise a dramatised, one-sided account, it causes further emotional distress for their children and hinders school efforts to rehabilitate and reconcile. In this case, it also led to online attacks and doxxing of our educators and young children. These are bullying behaviours and send the wrong signal to children.”
MOE said that a four-hour meeting with the girl’s parents was held on August 18, where the school went through the full sequence of events, including the girl’s own behaviour. Her parents eventually agreed to keep her in the same school under the enhanced safety plan.
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED
The case began in April, when the girl complained that a classmate, Pupil A, had used an offensive slur on her. Investigations showed she too had used an offensive remark, and both were told to apologise.
By July, tensions resurfaced. The girl asked to be moved away from Pupils A and B, but her form teacher observed that they were still on talking terms and decided to monitor the situation first.
On July 25, she renewed her request, citing chatter and inappropriate language. She also alleged that Pupil C had touched her face without consent. The teacher promised to move her seat the following week.
A day later, on July 26, the girl’s mother received multiple prank calls and an alarming audio message threatening to kill her family.
Investigations traced the prank calls to three boys—Pupils A, B and C. They were immediately pulled from class on July 28, reprimanded, and suspended. That same day, the vice-principal met the girl’s parents to explain the disciplinary steps, including seat changes and additional safety measures.
The situation escalated further on July 30, when a dispute with another classmate ended with water being sprayed at the girl. This followed her use of racial slurs, which the school addressed by counselling both pupils.
On July 31, the girl’s parents received a formal safety plan via e-mail. A week later, on August 7, she suffered a bruise when Pupil C swung his bag at dismissal. CCTV footage confirmed the incident was not witnessed by teachers on duty. The boy was caned on August 12.
Image via Facebook
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