7 days ago
SJI International resumes overseas trips amid ongoing probe into student's death in Maldives in 2024
SINGAPORE – St Joseph's Institution (SJI) International has resumed its outdoor education expeditions, about a year after its 15-year-old Singaporean student Jenna Chan died on one of these trips in the Maldives.
This comes as investigations into the incident on Nov 8, 2024, are ongoing. An internal review of the school's overseas trip protocols and safety processes, commissioned soon after the tragedy, is still under way.
Reports indicated the SJI International student was fatally struck by the propeller of a running boat while snorkelling near Alif Dhaalu Atoll's Dhigurah island, where she was participating in a research project with charity Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme.
In a written reply to The Straits Times on July 10, Dr Michael Johnston, principal of SJI International, said the Maldivian authorities hold primary investigative powers.
No findings have been shared with the school despite attempts to engage them, the related organisations and the boat crew, he added.
He said officers from the Maldives Police Service, assisted by the Singapore Police Force (SPF), came to the school in May 2025 to interview students and a teacher who had been on the trip.
ST contacted the Maldivian authorities, but did not receive a reply.
In response to queries, a Ministry of Education (MOE) spokeswoman on July 15 said the ministry has been in touch with the school's board of governors, and that it will not be investigating its management. The school had followed its safety processes for overseas trips, she added.
The Singapore authorities do not have legal jurisdiction to investigate incidents abroad, she said, adding that the SPF has been assisting the Maldivian authorities with the case.
Parents of students at the school, speaking on condition of anonymity, are calling for more transparency and updates as expeditions have resumed. The trips, set to be held in November, are compulsory for Grade 9 students, which is equivalent to the Secondary 3 level.
In briefing slides seen by ST, which were presented to parents and students in May, students were given nine options. These include a biodiversity and research programme in Kinabatangan, Sabah; a pilgrimage trek in Japan; a Himalayan rafting expedition in Dehradun, India; sea kayaking in Langkawi; and the only local option, a sailing and rainforest exploration in Singapore.
On the 2024 incident, the parent of a Grade 9 boy said the school failed to clearly outline safety measures taken, acknowledge missteps, or explain next steps.
He said he would like more reassurance that the school has 'toughened up' the way it evaluates service providers. 'I'll be lying if I told you we were not worried.'
A retiree in her 50s, who has a daughter in Grade 10, said she was expecting a follow-up review for parents to give their feedback on these expeditions, discuss their objectives, and where the school's safety procedures should be improved.
Some parents acknowledged the benefits of outdoor programmes but wanted more information about the service providers chosen by the school.
During a session in May, parents asked about the school's vetting processes, emergency and safety procedures, and details like staff-to-student ratio.
The school should be open about the number of service providers it vets, its selection and risk assessment process, said a parent of a 16-year-old student.
The 53-year-old, who works in the healthcare industry, added: 'It is not enough to say that a provider was 'well-regarded' or had been used before.'
Dr Johnston said the school had applied the same checks it uses for all trips before approving the Maldives expedition. This included reviewing the provider's safety procedures and doing its own risk assessment of the activities.
He added that the school is working closely with other international schools and MOE to strengthen safety standards and share lessons across the sector.
Mr Alan Chan, Jenna's father, told ST he hopes that MOE can also have greater oversight over the operations of privately funded schools in areas related to student welfare and reporting of serious incidents.
Mr Chan, 59, who is retired, said: 'I'm focusing on this gap because it seems the most straightforward to fix. It's too late for my family, but I hope to prevent the same fate from befalling others.'
The MOE spokeswoman said that privately funded schools, including SJI International, are for international students and locals who prefer an alternative schooling option. 'These schools are outside the mainstream school system and have autonomy over their operations, policies and governance.'
MOE engages such schools to share practices, including overseas trip planning and safety measures.
Jenna's incident has reinforced the need for strong safety guidelines when organising overseas trips, said Mr Delane Lim, secretary-general of the Outdoor Learning & Adventure Education Association.
In January, the association published guidelines detailing training and certification requirements to ensure activities are conducted safely and proficiently.
While the guidelines are designed for local programmes, Mr Lim said schools can refer to them when vetting operators abroad and evaluating programme safety, especially in unfamiliar settings.
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction
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