PETALING JAYA: Three pupils from Sengkang Green Primary School, Singapore have been suspended for bullying a female classmate, with one of them caned after sending death threats to the victim’s mother, said Singapore’s Ministry of Education (MOE).
The victim, who had stopped attending school due to repeated bullying, will now return under a safety plan agreed upon with her parents. The island republic’s MOE said the school acted “in a timely manner” and took firm disciplinary steps at each stage.
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According to Straits Times, the case gained public attention after Facebook user Ni Yin posted on August 14 about her nine-year-old daughter’s ordeal, alleging months of bullying and sharing an audio recording of violent threats directed at her family.
The threats, which included remarks such as “I might dissect her into pieces… or end her life in school”, were sent on July 26, after she reported the bullying.
Following the threats, the victim’s mother filed a police report and informed the school, MOE, and her Member of Parliament.
Police confirmed they are investigating.
MOE said the boys were immediately suspended after prank calls and threats were traced to them.
“The school will take further disciplinary actions, including caning, and work with their parents so that the boys can learn from their actions,” the ministry said.
At the same time, MOE revealed that the girl had also engaged in “hurtful behaviour” on some occasions, including the use of offensive and racial slurs, which the school addressed fairly.
A meeting between the school and the girl’s parents was held on August 18, lasting four hours.
“The parents agreed to work with the school to have their child return to the current school with the enhanced safety plan in place, without further request for a school transfer,” MOE added.
The ministry stressed that it takes a strong stance against bullying: “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.
“When parents choose to publicise a dramatised, one-sided account on social media, it causes further emotional distress for their children and hinders the school’s efforts to rehabilitate and reconcile.”
MOE also noted that online backlash had led to doxxing of teachers and children in this case, which it described as “bullying behaviours” that set a damaging example for students.
The issue of bullying in schools has been a recurring concern.
In February, then Singapore Education Minister Chan Chun Sing told Parliament that the ministry takes a serious view of such cases, adding that parents should allow schools and authorities to manage incidents without speculation.
He previously said in October 2024 that the average rate of bullying cases remained stable — about two per 1,000 students annually in primary schools, and six per 1,000 in secondary schools — covering both in-school and out-of-school incidents.
In Malaysia, five teenage girls in Sabah have been charged in a juvenile court for allegedly using abusive and threatening language toward 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, whose death in July has sparked widespread outrage and calls for anti-bullying reforms.
The charges under Section 507C(1) of the Penal Code carry up to one year’s imprisonment, a fine or both.