Singapore has rolled out new school disciplinary guidelines under which male students found guilty of bullying could face caning as punishment.

The updated rules, announced by the ministry of education and debated in parliament this week, allow schools to cane boys between one and three times if they are found guilty of bullying. Cyberbullying is also included under the rules.

Education minister Desmond Lee said caning would be applied as a “last resort” and “if all the other measures are inadequate, given the gravity of the misconduct”.

“They follow strict protocols to ensure safety for the student. For instance, caning must be approved by the principal and administered only by authorised teachers,” he said.

“Schools 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.”

The tougher approach follows a year-long review into student behaviour and comes after several widely publicised bullying incidents in Singaporean schools sparked national debate.

Mr Lee said the measure would apply only to boys in upper primary school (aged nine to 12) and older. He added that Singapore’s criminal procedure laws prohibit caning for women.

He added that schools would continue tracking a punished student’s “welfare and progress” afterwards, including offering counselling and other support services.

The education minister said that female students found guilty of bullying would receive punishments “such as detention and/or suspension, adjustment of their conduct grade and other school-based consequences”.

Rights organisations have long condemned Singapore’s continued use of corporal punishment in schools and the wider criminal justice system.

Singaporean authorities, however, maintain that caning serves as an effective deterrent against serious offences and misconduct.

Caning in Singapore dates back to British colonial rule, even though the UK itself later abolished corporal punishment. Australia also phased out caning in public schools decades ago, with some private schools only ending the practice in the early 2000s.

According to a World Health Organization report last year, “there is now overwhelming scientific evidence that corporal punishment of children carries multiple risks of harm and has no benefits”.

Amnesty International said in a statement: “Corporal punishment is a cruel and degrading treatment that should never be used against children. Evidence does not show that caning is an effective deterrent to bullying or violence. It should be fully abolished in schools and in the justice system in Singapore.”