Singapore introduces caning for boys who bully others at school

Singapore has introduced caning as a 'last resort' disciplinary measure for male students aged 9 and above who engage in bullying, including cyberbullying, with punishments up to three strokes of the cane under new anti-bullying guidelines discussed in parliament. Education Minister Desmond Lee emphasized strict protocols requiring principal approval and authorized administration, with schools monitoring wellbeing afterward, while female students face alternative punishments like detention and suspension. The Guardian's reporting is sourced directly from ministerial statements and includes context from Unicef and WHO opposition to corporal punishment, bolstered by corroboration from ABC News, South China Morning Post, and other outlets confirming the policy framework and Singapore's existing use of judicial caning in the criminal justice system. Critical readers should monitor how schools implement these guidelines in practice, whether caning becomes routine despite 'last resort' language, and potential responses from international human rights organizations already skeptical of Singapore's corporal punishment systems.