Outram Sec student left with broken teeth after alleged assault by classmate, principal says disciplinary action under way

A Secondary 1 student suffered broken teeth, a stitched lip and other injuries after he was allegedly assaulted by a schoolmate at Outram Secondary School.

Stomper B said the incident occurred on May 28 while her son was walking from the school hall to the canteen.

According to B, her son’s classmate spat at his back. Her son then wiped the spit off his shirt and onto the classmate’s, leading to the alleged attack.

The other student allegedly grabbed her son from behind and threw him to the ground.

The school called for an ambulance and the boy was taken to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH).

According to medical documents seen by Stomp, the 13-year-old boy suffered an upper lip laceration requiring seven stitches, fractures to his mouth, three loose teeth, one broken tooth and bruises.

B said her son requires follow-up treatment at KKH every two weeks for between one and five years.

She added that doctors have also recommended psychiatric follow-up at KKH over the same period.

“He feels sad, angry, frightened and unfairly treated,” she told Stomp.

“He has nightmares involving blood and the incident.”

The parent added that her son is expected to require three dental implants when he is older, at an estimated cost of about $7,000 each.

She said the school had confirmed there had been no prior issues or conflicts between the two students before the incident.

Mother questions delay in disciplinary action

While she appreciates that the school investigated the incident, the parent said she remains concerned about what she described as a lack of transparency in the disciplinary process.

“I have received conflicting verbal updates in the past two months,” she said.

According to the parent, school leaders first informed her on June 22 that the other student would be caned, but said the punishment could only be carried out when he was “ready”.

She said she was later told on July 7 that the punishment had been put on hold after the student appealed, prompting the school to conduct further investigations.

According to the parent, the school subsequently interviewed witnesses again, asked students to write additional statements and conducted a re-enactment of the incident.

She questioned why witnesses and her son were repeatedly asked whether the incident had been a “trip and push”, saying they had consistently maintained that they saw the other student grab and throw her son.

She claimed several students later told her they had been asked to rewrite their statements between three and five times.

“This made the students feel pressured and annoyed,” she said.

“They told my son the school kept asking whether it was a trip and push, even though they clearly stated they saw the offender grab and throw my son.

“Repeatedly asking them to rewrite statements could pressure them to change their statements out of frustration.”

The mother said she felt the school’s leadership appeared to favour the other student’s account.

“In front of me, they asked my son several times if it was a ‘trip and push’, and repeatedly told him the offender said it was a trip and push, even though my son repeatedly stated that it was a grab and throw,” she said.

She further alleged that another student had told her the boy had previously shoved and pushed classmates, including her son.

The parent said she lodged a police report, but was informed that because the other student was 13 years old, police could only issue a verbal warning and that disciplinary action would be a matter for the school.

Dive in

She said that following another round of investigations, school leaders informed her on July 17 that the student would again be caned.

However, when she asked when this would happen, she said she was told the school had to wait until the student was “ready”.

“They could not explain what ‘ready’ meant,” she added. “They just told me to trust them and give them time and space.”

The Stomper said she remains disappointed because, based on what she had been told by the school, she believed the other student would be caned. She said she has yet to receive confirmation that this has happened.

She added that she is seeking greater transparency over the disciplinary process and hopes to be informed when it has been completed.

“My concern is: What about my son’s dignity and welfare?” she said.

“My son still talks about it every single day. He feels unfair, he feels unsupported, and he feels like no one from the school is concerned.

“No child should go through this alone.”

She also hopes the Ministry of Education will intervene and ensure her son’s welfare is prioritised.

Netizens weigh in

The mother also shared her account of the incident in a Facebook post on Aug 3, which has received over 111 reactions and 117 comments.

Many commenters expressed sympathy for the injured student, while others questioned how the case had been handled.

“It’s really sad to hear there is no accountability,” one commenter wrote.

Another said: “Speedy recovery to your son. Feel your anger and frustrations.”

Several commenters suggested contacting the Ministry of Education directly, pursuing legal action against the other student’s family or seeking compensation.

“Bill the school. They have insurance,” one commenter suggested.

Others said boys should learn self-defence to better protect themselves from bullying.

Principal: School has taken incident ‘very seriously’

Responding to Stomp’s queries, Outram Secondary School principal Keith Tan said the school has been taking the incident “very seriously” since it occurred.

“When the incident involving Student A and the affected student, Student B, happened in May 2026, Student B’s form teacher accompanied him to the hospital,” said the principal. “He was discharged on the same day.”

He added that the school subsequently conducted comprehensive investigations, including multiple rounds of interviews and re-enactments with eyewitnesses, to rigorously establish the facts of the case.

“Throughout the process, we maintained close contact with the families of both students, keeping them informed of the outcomes and consequences in accordance with the school’s disciplinary framework,” he said.

Mr Tan said the school has had a safety plan in place for the Stomper’s son since June 22.

“This includes counselling support, measures to minimise contact with Student A, and excusing him from contact sports during his recovery period. Student A has also been transferred to another class.”

He added that the school had determined and is carrying out appropriate disciplinary measures against Student A.

“These include suspension, adjustment of conduct grade and other consequences, in accordance with the school’s disciplinary framework,” he said.

“We continue to engage the families of both students closely. The school remains committed to safeguarding the well-being of all students and maintaining a safe and respectful school environment.”

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