Singapore schools used caning as a disciplinary measure only when all other options were inadequate, given the gravity of the misconduct, Minister for Education Desmond Lee said on Tuesday.

Responding to more than 20 parliamentary questions on the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) updated efforts to tackle bullying, Lee acknowledged that studies linked poorly administered and frequent corporal punishment – particularly in unregulated settings such as the home – with negative outcomes.

“We recognise this, and I want to emphasise that the context in our schools is quite different,” he said.

Schools follow strict protocols when caning is considered: for example, it must be approved by the principal and administered only by authorised teachers. They also take into account the student’s maturity and whether the measure would help him learn from his mistake.

“If it is used, it is never administered in isolation but always as part of a suite of restorative and disciplinary measures,” Lee said.