Actions against Educators for Sexual Misconduct

10 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Acting Minister for Education (Schools) (a) how many cases of educator sexual misconduct have been reported and investigated over the past five years; (b) how many of these cases have been inconclusive after investigations and what action has been taken; (c) what steps have been taken to monitor the conduct of teachers whose cases have been found inconclusive; and (d) what steps have been taken to separate the teachers from the students in these inconclusive cases.

The Minister of State for Education (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Acting Minister for Education) (Schools): Mdm Speaker, MOE does not tolerate sexual misconduct by educators towards their students. We take every case reported to us very seriously and all such allegations are reported to the Police. Officers are suspended from service while investigations take place, so that they are separated from students. Those found guilty are not allowed to remain in service. If necessary, the Ministry will conduct its own investigations to establish the facts and to take appropriate disciplinary action.

For cases where it is inconclusive whether there has been any sexual misconduct but it is established that there has been a serious breach of professional boundaries, officers will still be dismissed. The safety of students is topmost in the Ministry's mind when it manages such cases. In the very minority of cases where there is insufficient evidence to mount a case for either sexual or professional misconduct, but there remains sufficient evidence to raise genuine concerns, officers will be redeployed to jobs that do not require them to interact with students.

Over the past five years, there have been 14 such cases of sexual misconduct that have been reported to the Police and prosecuted in Court. Educators who have transgressed and fallen short of the Ministry's standards of expected behaviour form a very small minority of the teaching force. However, every case is one case too many. We expect all educators to conduct themselves in a manner which upholds the integrity of the profession and the trust placed in them.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang): Mdm Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of State: there are 14 cases over the last five years, is this figure considered high, low or average compared to other countries in terms of sexual misconduct among educators? And I am sure that for all these cases, we know of those that have been detected, but how many cases go unreported or undetected at all?

Is there a whistle-blowing sort of mechanism within the education system? Do you teach the students what is sexual harassment? How to report it? Is there a hotline for them to call? Is there a secret survey that is done among the student population to find out how prevalent the issue is?

Dr Janil Puthucheary: Madam, I do not have the data for other countries. I can certainly look to see if it is available. The issue of sexual misconduct and how it is dealt with in the school system, we can look at it from the point of view of the professionals, educators and we can look at it from the point of view of the students.

The teachers or the educators have a high degree of trust placed on them and they are in a privileged position as adults in a position of responsibility and authority over their charges. The expectation of behaviour is codified in a code of conduct and this framework serves as a way that the Ministry, as well as the professional development agencies through NIE, trains the teachers. It is made clear at the point of recruitment and there are specific training sessions within the training at the time of induction into the service and then as part of professional development after service has begun.

Such training is not left ambiguous. It is explicitly stated what are expected behaviours and what are behaviours that should be refrained from and avoided. Case scenarios are used, examples are used.

From the point of view of students, appropriate behaviour from adults dealing with issues of sexual misconduct, predatory relationships, grooming – these discussions are started in Primary 1 and carried on throughout the whole of the schooling years. There are specific modules for this. These are conducted by specially-trained teachers who have an affinity and the rapport and are able to communicate the key issues. Students are told to look out for each other. And then, if I can come back, the professionals, teachers and educators are also told that, if they are aware of misconduct by another teacher, it is their duty and their responsibility to make sure that it is reported.