The recent Sengkang Green Primary bullying case has sparked discussion amongst Singaporeans, especially those with kids, about the handling of such incidents.

On August 14, a woman named Ni Yin took to Facebook to talk about the bullying her Primary 3 daughter experienced in school. According to her, the bullying also led to threats against her and her family. 

Three of the girl’s classmates were suspended prior to the day Ni Yin published her post. In that post, she also called for stronger action from the Ministry of Education (MOE) and her daughter's school, Sengkang Green Primary. 

On August 20, MOE released a statement detailing the timeline of events regarding the case. 

While acknowledging the anxieties of parents of children who may have been affected by “hurtful behaviour”, MOE also stated: “When parents choose to publicise a dramatised, one-sided account on social media, it causes further emotional distress for their children and hinders school efforts to rehabilitate and reconcile.”

The statement heightened what was already a flurry of discussion surrounding the case, with Singaporeans sharing their takes on whether the mother should have gone public in the first place, and if the response put out by MOE was appropriate.

You can read the full report of the case in this CNA article.

8days.sg reached out to Joanne Peh, who has a 10-year-old daughter and an eight-year-old son with Mediacorp actor Qi Yuwu, to get her take on the situation. 

When asked if she thought the mum should have gone public on social media, Joanne says: “I think the more important question is not whether she should have taken it to social media, but why she felt she needed to.”

“Often when parents bring things up online, it comes from a place of wanting to be heard or seeking support and perspective from others. It could also be because she wanted other parents to be aware of what might happen, so that we can all look out for our children." 

Joanne believes the discussions that follow can be healthy. 

“They give parents an opportunity to talk with their children about what is appropriate or inappropriate behaviour. For instance, my son mentioned that his teacher had a class discussion on this, which I feel is a positive step.”

“From the parent’s post, it also seemed that she did raise her concerns privately with the school before going public. As parents, when we feel our children may be hurt, it’s natural to feel vulnerable and want to make sure our voices are heard." 

Joanne continues: “I can see that MOE wanted to reassure parents and clarify facts, and they did acknowledge the anxieties of families. At the same time, the stronger language in the statement — about a ‘one-sided account’ or ‘sending the wrong signal’ — risks making parents feel shut down for speaking up. And when that happens, the focus shifts away from the most important thing: the well-being of the child.”

She acknowledges that educators and regulators have faced online attacks, which can also be very hurtful. The bigger lesson, she feels, is that “all parties, including children, parents, teachers, and officials are still learning to cope when we feel wronged, misunderstood, or even bullied”. 

Should her kids get bullied, Joanne says she would first speak directly with the teacher. If her concerns are still not addressed, she would request a meeting with the teacher, school counsellor, and principal to work towards a resolution together. 

“Of course, while it’s easy to describe a calm approach in theory, I also understand that it’s natural for any parent to feel defensive when our children are hurt. But I believe the best outcomes come when we can work with the school to find solutions together,” she adds.

Photos: Google Street View, Ni Yin/ Facebook, joannepeh/ Instagram