Programmes and Channels Available to Primary School Students to Learn and Raise the Alert on Domestic Violence

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Education what is the education programme on child abuse and domestic violence awareness and the channels available for Primary school students to alert teachers or the authorities should they or any of their family members are in an abusive or violent relationship.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the safety and well-being of every child is of utmost importance in our schools. In Primary schools, students are taught personal safety and how to safeguard themselves against abuse in an age-appropriate manner. Students are also equipped with skills to seek help. This includes listing the trusted adults whom they can turn to for help. They are also encouraged to look out for their peers and seek help for those who display any signs of distress.

There are also system-wide efforts to support children who are victims of abuse and domestic violence. Students who face such situations can report them to their Teachers, School Counsellors or Student Welfare Officers. Teachers also monitor the well-being of the students and look out for students who are at risk of such abuses. All School Counsellors and Student Welfare Officers are trained to use the Child Abuse Reporting Guide which was jointly developed by MSF and the Ministries with frontline staff working with children, for MOE, MOH, the Singapore Police Force. In turn, the School Counsellors train the teachers in their school to pick up signs of child abuse using the Sector Specific Screening Guide (Education).

Principals report suspected child abuse cases, including exposure to family violence, immediately to the Child Protective Service, and work closely with the Child Protection Officers and/or Approved Welfare Officers to ensure that timely intervention is provided for the children involved.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Minister of State for the clarification and answer. I understand that there is a guideline and a framework for the reporting and identifying of child abuse cases amongst Primary school students. What I am concerned with would be the voiceless amongst the vulnerables. That is, the Primary school students who will not be able to voice out in terms of abuse or any trauma that they are facing.

I would like to ask the Minister of State whether the Ministry can consider any art therapy or other indirect counselling sessions to identify these signs of trauma or child abuse. For instance, perhaps, we can equip students with some form of indirect messaging to signal that they are facing such problems.

For instance, in Poland and in certain countries, they have "Signalling for Help" – you put your thumb between these two fingers and show it as a sign that there is some form of violence happening in the home. This can be happening during a Zoom call or session.

These are the kinds of things that perhaps Primary school students can be more aware of, that they should not be rendered voiceless and helpless.

I thank the Member for his supplementary question. Indeed, we are always concerned about young children. In Primary schools, students are taught in Primary 1, as young as from Primary 1, about their personal rights to safety and how to safeguard themselves. This takes place during the Form Teacher Guidance Period. These are lessons which are part of the Character and Citizenship Education. These lessons are mandatory for all schools to deliver. They help students recognise that they can seek help from trusted adults when they are hurt or perhaps in a variety of ways.

For instance, if someone has caused them physical pain, if someone has touched them in a way that made them feel confused, uncomfortable, sad, or if someone has touched them in their private areas without good reasons, or if someone has forced him or her to touch the adult, or someone has told them not to tell anyone that he or she had been touched.

Teachers go through these scenarios with students. But we recognise that young children may or may not have the verbal skills to be able to communicate effectively.

I thank the Member for suggesting signalling communication methods. He had mentioned art therapy. Schools do use different methods. They could perhaps use journalling, for instance. Teachers are also trained to pick up these non-verbal cues. If young children should, through their drawings, suggest that there are things happening at home that they are not comfortable with, that perhaps suggest family violence or abuse, teachers are trained to pick this up.

But we can all imagine that different children express themselves differently. What is most important is that our teachers are sensitised and have trusting relationships with the children. The children know that they can go to the teachers if they feel uncomfortable, if they had been hurt in any way.

There are potentially different ways and methods that teachers can develop, for the children to be able to reflect and communicate their emotions. I would not rule any of them out. And I thank the Member for his suggestions.