Singapore to Allow Caning of Boys Age 9 and Older for Serious Misconduct Starting in 2027

Singapore will permit authorized teachers to cane misbehaving male students as young as 9 under a new nationwide framework set to take effect across the country in 2027. Education Minister Desmond Lee confirmed the policy in parliament on Tuesday. Lee said principals must approve each instance of caning and that only authorized teachers can carry it out.

Students as young as 9 are eligible under the new rules, though the measure will only apply to boys in upper primary classes and above. "This approach is based on research which shows that children and youth learn to make better choices when there are clear boundaries enforced by firm, meaningful consequences," Lee told parliament. Students caned for a first offense will receive one stroke.

Repeat misconduct can bring up to three strokes. Punishments will differ between serious and very serious offenses. Serious offenses cover bullying, cheating, gambling and vaping. Fighting, drug abuse and arson are classified as very serious offenses.

Singapore’s Ministry of Education documented an incident in which three Primary 3 students allegedly sent death threats to the mother of a classmate. Officials suspended all three Primary 3 students and caned one. The policy arrives against a backdrop of parental frustration with current disciplinary measures.

A mother whose teenage son endured six months of bullying after defending a classmate received little more than a discipline committee meeting from school officials, according to the South China Morning Post. @DailyCaller reported that the World Health Organization opposes corporal punishment.

An August 2025 WHO report’s overview said corporal punishment causes lasting harm and offers no real benefit.

Singapore enforces its laws aggressively in other contexts as well. Prosecutors recently charged an 18-year-old French teen with two offenses that could put him in prison for up to two years after the teen allegedly licked a straw from a juice vending machine and put it back, CNN reported. The article was published on May 07, 2026 at 1:26 PM ET by contributor Mark Tanos.