16th May 2026
Singapore’s decision to strengthen the use of caning for serious school bullying cases has sparked international debate about discipline, youth violence and whether harsh punishment actually works.
The new policy, announced by Singapore’s Ministry of Education, allows male students aged nine and older to receive up to three strokes of a cane for severe bullying offences, including repeated physical intimidation, assaults and serious cyberbullying. The punishment can only be authorised by school principals and is intended as a final disciplinary measure after other interventions have failed.
The move follows growing concern about youth violence in Singapore after several widely publicised incidents involving school bullying, filmed assaults and online harassment. In one recent case, videos of a student attack spread rapidly across social media, prompting national discussion about school safety and discipline.
Singapore already has some of the strictest laws and punishments in the world. Judicial caning remains part of the country’s criminal justice system for offences including vandalism, drug crimes and some violent offences. School caning has also remained legal for decades, although it has become less common in recent years.
Supporters of the tougher school rules argue that strong consequences are necessary to deter violent behaviour. Surveys conducted in Singapore over the past decade have repeatedly shown significant public support for corporal punishment, particularly in cases involving repeat offenders or violence.
But critics say there is little evidence that physical punishment improves long-term behaviour. International research increasingly suggests the opposite. A 2021 meta-analysis published in The Lancet reviewed 69 studies involving more than 75,000 children and found corporal punishment was consistently linked to negative outcomes, including aggression, anxiety, depression and lower academic achievement. UNICEF estimates corporal punishment remains legal in schools in around 60 countries, although global support for bans has steadily grown.
Singapore’s bullying concerns mirror international trends. According to the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), around one in five students across developed countries report being bullied at least a few times a month. In New Zealand, bullying rates have historically ranked among the highest in the OECD.
The 2022 PISA survey found that around 27% of New Zealand students reported being bullied regularly, compared with an OECD average of about 20%. Cyberbullying has also become an increasing concern for schools, particularly since the rise of social media and smartphone use among teenagers.
Despite those concerns, New Zealand is extremely unlikely to ever reintroduce corporal punishment in schools. Physical punishment by teachers was formally banned in New Zealand in 1990 through amendments to the Education Act. The law makes it illegal for school staff to use force for correction or discipline, with only reasonable physical restraint allowed in situations involving safety risks.
New Zealand schools have instead shifted toward restorative practices, counselling, behaviour support programmes and trauma-informed approaches. The Ministry of Education has invested millions into anti-bullying initiatives such as the Bullying-Free NZ programme and Positive Behaviour for Learning.
Public frustration over classroom violence and poor behaviour still surfaces regularly, especially online, and some New Zealanders argue that schools lack meaningful consequences for serious bullying. But legally, politically and culturally, a return to caning would face enormous resistance.
