Reviewing School Counsellor Reporting Structures and Providing Training on Counselling Ethics to Enhance Confidentiality and Trust

50 Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry will review counsellor reporting structures to enhance confidentiality and trust, including models where counsellors report to a dedicated mental health body rather than solely to principals; (b) whether training on counselling ethics can be provided for school principals; and (c) what steps will increase qualified professional-to-student ratios and safeguard counsellor autonomy.

Mr Desmond Lee: The Ministry of Education (MOE) has established reporting structures for school counsellors that ensure clear professional practice, accountability and coordinated student support. School counsellors abide by MOE's ethical counselling standards to maintain confidentiality of any information shared by students. They also receive regular consultations with Master and Lead school counsellors at MOE headquarters on counselling and case management practices.

School leaders are kept informed of individual student cases to the extent necessary to provide in-school support, or for referral to external agencies. Like school counsellors, school leaders are guided to maintain the confidentiality of student cases where information is shared on a need-to-know basis.

Besides school counsellors and flexi-adjunct counsellors in our schools, severe cases are referred to external professionals including to the Response, Early intervention and Assessment in Community Mental Health teams. For schools with higher caseloads and complexities, MOE deploys additional counsellors to help them to maintain manageable workloads that support effective professional practice and quality care for students.