Last Monday (19 July), news that a 13-year-old student at River Valley High School (RVHS) had allegedly been murdered by a Sec 4 student with an axe rocked the nation.

Residents all around the country empathised with the plight of the victim’s family, prompting an outpouring of affection and support online.

One week has passed, and everyone is still coming to grips with the incident. As PM Lee Hsien Loong said: “We cannot make sense of what happened”.

Today (27 July), Education Minister Chan Chun Sing took to the Parliamentary podium to deliver a ministerial statement on the the RVHS death.

Here’s what he had to say:

The Alleged Murderer Was the One Who Asked Other Students to Call the Police

In his speech, Mr Chan provided a more detailed timeline of what happened on that fateful day.

It was towards the end of their lunch break, at around 11:35 am, that a group of students stumbled upon a Sec 4 student holding an axe outside a toilet on the fourth floor.

With the axe still in hand, the 16-year-old asked the students to call the police.

After the students returned to their classrooms to inform their teacher, the Sec 4 student asked another group of students in the classroom next to the toilet to call the police.

Students Immediately Executed a Lockdown Drill

Many would panic in such a situation, but the students followed the proper protocol for such an event.

Students who were asked by the Sec 4 student to call the police immediately executed what’s known as a ‘Run-Hide-Tell’ drill.

As they were trained to do, students returned to their classrooms, locked the doors, and called their teachers for help.

A Teacher Convinced The Sec 4 Student to Put the Axe Down

One teacher who arrived at the scene of the attack asked the 16-year-old to put the axe down, and he complied.

While the Sec 4 student was escorted to a meeting room, other teachers found the 13-yea-old victim lying motionless on the toilet floor with multiple wounds.

Paramedics later pronounced him dead.

Once the situation was under control, the principal informed staff members of the incident, and then students, who were asked to call their parents to tell them they were safe.

Some parents were also informed about the attack through Parents Gateway, a communication app.

The principal later spoke to the group of students who were most affected by the incident.

At 3:15pm that day, the school began dismissing students and stationed teachers at the gates to speak to parents and students.

Students & Teachers Who Wished to Go Home After School Resumed Were Allowed to Do So

There was no school the next day, as it was Hari Raya Haji, a public holiday, so school resumed on 21 July.

However, students and teachers who wished to return home could do so.

Teachers made calls to students who were not in school to see how they were doing.

540 Staff Members & Students Sought Psychological Support After Tragedy

On Hari Raya Haji (20 July), the Ministry of Education (MOE) set up a Caring Action in Response to Emergencies (CARE) Post to provide counselling to distressed students and staff members.

According to Mr Chan, 540 employees and students sought psychological support from 98 MOE CARE officers and counsellors, who have been trained in psychological first aid and trauma management.

The Education Minister also noted the “heartening” acts of kindness displayed by some students within the school community.

Some students sent each other gifts and encouraging notes, while others urged their teachers to seek help if needed.

“All these speak volumes of the compassion and strength of the River Valley High School family,” Mr Chan said.

MOE Will Update Security Measures in Schools, But Will Not Turn Them Into “Fortresses”

Understandably, after such an incident, questions are going to be asked of what measures educational institutions will take to prevent such attacks from happening again.

Mr Chan said his ministry will update its security measures in schools in a “targeted manner”, without compromising the feeling of “homeliness” in the school environment.

While Mr Chan did not provide specifics of these new measures, he said MOE does not want schools to turn into “fortresses”.

“We also do not wish to paradoxically engender a siege mentality amongst students and staff, causing them to take extreme measures to protect themselves, at the expense of a shared sense of security,” he said.

He likened school to a second home, saying one wouldn’t like being frisked and having their bags checked every time they went home.

Teachers Will Receive Enhanced Training on Mental Health Literacy

One of the new measures that Mr Chan did elaborate on is that all teachers will soon get enhanced training on mental health literacy.

With more knowledge on the subject, teachers would be better equipped to not only support students in need, but identify those in distress in the first place.

In addition…

More Teacher-Counsellors Will Be Deployed in the Next Few Years

Mr Chan said MOE also aims to deploy more teacher-counsellors in the next few years.

At the moment, there are 700 who are deployed in schools. Under the new objective, this number will go up to more than 1,000.

These teacher-counsellors have received additional training to deal with more serious issues like grief and loss.

Teachers will also set aside some time at the start of every school term to check on their students’ well-being.

There’ll Be a Lighter Exam Load for Students to Relieve Pressure

Students are more stressed than ever, and the anxieties induced by the COVID-19 pandemic have certainly not helped.

This is why students taking the O, N, and A levels this year will not be tested on some topics covered towards the end of their syllabus.

MOE announced the removal of these “Common Last Topics” (CLT) last month for those taking the Primary School Leaving Examinations this year, and is now extending the removal.

What’s more, other students will also be tested on fewer topics in their year-end exams.

By lightening their exam load, the education ministry hopes to ease some of the pressure on students this year.

Preventing Such Incidents From Happening Again Will Require a Collaborative, Societal Effort

In his speech, Mr Chan emphasised that a whole-of-society effort – what he referred to as a “communal safety net” – is required to prevent such tragic incidents from occurring again.

Awareness around mental health issues has been growing, but we can do more to help others, starting with how we interact in our own homes.

“Within our own families, we can all spend a bit more time listening to our children’s thoughts and feelings. Let them share with us what they find stressful. Give them the space to process their emotions,” he said.

Mr Chan also warned against comparing the success of one’s child to another, urging families to have more open discussions on what success means to them.

On the tragic incident, Mr Chan expressed his deepest condolences to the victim’s family, and was grateful for the “overwhelming” outpouring of public support.

More than anything else, no one who wants to seek help for mental health issues should feel any shame or be stigmatised, he said.

After all, “reaching out for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.”

“Let this incident motivate all of us to take down our barriers and treat struggling individuals who step forward with care and compassion,” he added.

If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health issues, here are some helplines you can call:

Samaritans of Singapore: 1800 221-4444 (24 hours)

Institute of Mental Health: 6389-2222 (24 hours)

Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800 283-7019 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 6pm)

National Care Hotline: 1800-202-6868 (8am-12am)

Brahm Centre AssistLine: 6655-0000 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 6pm)

Read Also:

• 10 COVID-19 Updates Mentioned in Parliament Summarised for You
• Axe Brand Responded After Its Advertisement Appeared Below Article of RVHS Incident

Featured Image: YouTube (CNA)