Teaching Students to Recognise and Report Physical, Sexual and Emotional Abuse in School Settings

11 Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Education (a) what in-school programmes are currently in place to educate children enrolled in primary schools about how to recognise and report physical, sexual and emotional abuses in school settings; and (b) how will the Ministry evaluate the effectiveness of these programmes.

The Minister of State for Education (Ms Gan Siow Huang) (for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, through Character and Citizenship Education from Primary 1, our students learn about personal safety and boundaries; different forms of abuse; and how they can protect themselves, both in the physical and online space, including from those in positions of authority. Students are taught to report their concerns and seek help for their friends or themselves from trusted adults.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) reviews the effectiveness of these programmes regularly in consultation with stakeholders and other Government agencies such as the Ministry of Social and Family Development, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Health.

Mr Speaker: Assoc Prof Razwana.

Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim (Nominated Member): Thank you for the response. I think my question here is really, apart from MOE's sexuality education curriculum, is there anything else that we are doing to ensure that we create a safe and supportive environment, where children are empowered to speak up about concerns that they have?

My second question is, what are we doing, in terms of providing training and resources for teachers to effectively address this situation and not to also be the perpetrator, the one that causes such harm in a school setting?

Ms Gan Siow Huang: I thank Assoc Prof Razwana for the supplementary questions. In MOE, we teach our students to recognise signs of distress and the need to look out for their peers. Because we know that sometimes, students are afraid to speak to their parents about bullying or the abuse that they experience; they would rather talk to their friends. So, we tell our students that they should look out for one another and also be able to confide in their friends around them.

Students are also taught that they have the right to be treated with respect and to seek help and be taken seriously. Lessons remind our students that victims of sexual misconduct and abuse should not blame themselves nor feel guilty or ashamed about it. Through our lessons students are also taught that they should not be fearful of reporting possible cases of sexual abuse.

In supporting students going through challenging situations and to help them feel that it is okay for them to seek help, our teachers and school counsellors are also there to train and also to engage students in a psychologically safe environment, and on how to calibrate their approach accordingly based on their understanding of the students' personal and familial circumstances. Our teachers, as well, are constantly being reminded and trained to detect signs of distress in our students.