Under guidelines, offenders would face between one and three strokes of cane
\n Singapore
\nSchool bullies in Singapore face caning under new guidelines, but the education minister said on Tuesday it would be meted out only as a last resort with strict safeguards.
\nHuman rights groups regularly criticise Singapore for the use of corporal punishment, which remains part of both the school system and criminal justice, but authorities have defended it as a deterrent to crime and serious misconduct.
\nCaning was discussed in parliament on Tuesday after legislators asked how it would be used in relation to bullying in schools.
\nThe debate followed stricter guidelines against serious student misconduct, including bullying, unveiled by the education ministry last month.
\nUnder the guidelines, offenders could face between one and three strokes of the cane.
\n\u201cOur schools use caning as a disciplinary measure if all the other measures are inadequate, given the gravity of the misconduct,\u201d Education Minister Desmond Lee said Tuesday.
\n\u201cThey follow strict protocols to ensure safety for the student. For instance, caning must be approved by the principal and administered only by authorised teachers,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cSchools will consider factors such as the maturity of the student and if caning will help the student learn from his mistake and understand the gravity of what he has done.\u201d
\nThe punishment is given only to boys, per \u201cthe Criminal Procedure Code, which states that women shall not be punished with caning\u201d, Lee said.
\nCaning in Singapore is a legacy from British colonial rule, but Britain has long abolished corporal punishment.
\nAfter the caning is meted out, the school will \u201cmonitor the student\u2019s wellbeing and progress\u201d, including providing counselling, Lee said.
\nAccording to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report last year \u201cthere is now overwhelming scientific evidence that corporal punishment of children carries multiple risks of harm and has no benefits\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Under guidelines, offenders would face between one and three strokes of cane Singapore School bullies in Singapore face caning under new guidelines, but the education minister said on Tuesday it would be meted out only as a last resort with strict safeguards. Human rights groups regularly criticise Singapore for the use of corporal punishment, which […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":544906,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-544889","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n