PUBLISHED ONOctober 23, 2026 5:00 AMBYSean LerIn just the past week alone, there have been two reported cases of armed attacks at schools in Malaysia's Sarawak and the United States, with injuries reported in both cases and four fatalities in the Oregon elementary school case.
And while Singapore remains one of the safest countries in the world — according to the Law and Order Index in Gallup's 2025 Global Safety Report — schools here do conduct emergency drills every year.
Such drills are supported by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), with school leaders and teachers-in-charge holding post-drill briefings to reinforce established procedures to students and staff.
The Ministry of Education also regularly engages Institutes of Higher Learning such as polytechnics and the universities, with one such drill conducted at the National University of Singapore earlier in February.
On Thursday (Oct 22), Minister for Education Desmond Lee observed one such drill at Bukit Batok Secondary School, which involved an "attacker" who turned hostile after he entered the school's premises.
The "attacker" was armed with a knife.
After school staff noticed the "threat", a staff member attempted to calm the "attacker" down, while other began a school-wide lockdown.
Police officers later arrived, handled the situation, and arrested the "attacker" after a brief standoff.
Some 1,100 students and 160 staff involved in the drill were later debriefed on the situation.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) said in a statement that such emergency preparedness exercises can span different emergency situations, including fire evacuations, bomb threats, and uncooperative visitors.
"In consultation with SCDF and the police, exercises are designed to be realistic and progressive, allowing schools to review and update protocols to bolster their readiness and response capabilities across a range of emergencies," the ministry added
These protocols include internal communication channels and the execution of Run-Hide-Tell actions.
According to MOE, such drills are intended to also complement the SGSecure movement's efforts to inculcate vigilance and preparedness from young, by familiarising students with what they can do to protect themselves and seek help during an incident.
Beyond drills, workshops and scenario-based discussions are also conducted for selected staff on potential threats from within and around the school.
"Together, these efforts help build a culture of preparedness and reinforce the shared responsibility we all have in keeping Singapore safe – by staying vigilant, knowing how to respond during an emergency, and looking out for one another," the ministry said.
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