I read with a heavy heart the experiences of students in Taiwan who were victims of their teachers’ bullying behaviour (When teachers bully students: Taiwan schools face challenges tackling such cases, March 15).

I was a student decades ago who passed through the hands of teachers who used classroom management techniques such as hitting, throwing students’ books out the window and getting students to sit under the teacher’s desk in class.

Now I am a family coach supporting parents through their children’s mental health issues that stem from bullying.

I have been studying the issue of bullying – both online or offline – among peers or by teachers.

From the limited literature on bullying by teachers, I found some interesting content.

One author, who suggested that bullying by teachers is unconscionable and amounts to professional malpractice, sees deliberate humiliation and sarcasm as forms of bullying.

While I am curious to know what the situation in our schools is like, I am more concerned about the impact on the mental well-being of our children. Some of the cases that families have raised to me involve teachers who may want to encourage their students to do well and may not be aware that they are doing anything wrong.

It takes a village to raise a child. The Ministry of Education can continue to ensure that our teachers are well trained to practise effective discipline approaches and help them to understand what could amount to bullying of students, such as the use of public shaming and humiliation. But we as parents and caring adults can ensure that we strengthen our relationships with our children so that they feel safe to share their emotions and thoughts with us.

We can actively listen and empathise with them, take them seriously, and be their voice with their school constructively and honourably.

Together, as partners in education, we can also be effective role models of kindness to our children and raise them well.

Carol Loi Pui Wan