The Education Ministry has announced measures to help improve discipline in schools.
All secondary schools will each have a full-time counsellor by the year 2006 while primary schools and junior colleges will each have one by the year 2008.
The ministry will also train more teacher counsellors in schools, including at least two more teacher counsellors in each secondary school.
Education Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam says these measures will strengthen the current counselling support system by bringing additional expertise to the school.
Mr Tharman said, "We have to keep refining and adapting our strategies towards discipline on the ground. But we should avoid swinging from one pole to another, and retain a sensible balance of strategies, rooted in the culture and values of the school."
He was speaking at a symposium on discipline organised by the the Singapore Teachers' Union on Wednesday morning.
Mr Tharman added the Ministry has recently provided all schools with a Discipline Framework, which calls for a whole-school, multi-pronged approach aimed at developing self-discipline and strength of character in students.
The ministry will provide customised training to teachers to help them put this into practice.
It will also be piloting the use of Restorative Practices, which have been effective in several schools abroad.
Restorative Practices bring together the errant student and the victim, to discuss what each would do to help resolve the problem and prevent it from happening again.
I dun think can improve discipline