NTU, SMU & NUS Rolling Out Modules To Teach Students How To Take ‘No’ For An Answer

National University of Singapore (NUS) was under the spotlight for having given too lenient a punishment for a student voyeur.

The case came to light after the victim, our hero Monica Baey, raised a big hoo-ha with the help of social media.

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) also hit the news when another 22-year-old male student was caught filming a girl showering.

It’s no wonder the schools are under pressure to educate the students about what is right and wrong.

And one way they’re going about it is to make the students learn how to take no for an answer.

Wait, what? Didn’t we learn that in primary sch-

Editor: Just shut up and continue the article.

NUS’s Take: Respect & Consent Culture

NUS students have started taking the module called Respect and Consent Culture.

They can choose to do it online or at a 90-minute face-to-face workshop.

A school spokesperson said that they’re prioritising students who live on the campus. Other students will have a year to complete the module.

Nina and Kenneth (no, not from SGAG) will be used as the male and female leads of this particular course.

Here’s How It Goes:

Nina likes Kenneth and decided to study together in his room.

Both of them start some hanky panky and they kissed.

But when Kenneth itchy hands start moving into forbidden areas, Nina stopped him.

Kenneth got angry because how dare this b*tch toy around with his fillings feelings.

Before you shake your head and say, wa lao, another useless lesson, where got such thing one?

It happens. And it happens more often than you think, actually.

Think about it, when you get passionate, your heart starts pumping fast and it doesn’t take much to tip you over to anger.

There’s a reason why passion and anger both runs hot, y’know.

Students Will Be Questioned

It’s not going to be a passive lesson either.

Qualified facilitators will be present to ask students for opinions on whether:

• Nina was playing games
• Kenneth thinks too much
• Does a kiss mean anything goes?

What they hope to do is to give students a sense of mutual respect and understanding that consent, even if given, can be taken back.

And if there’s no consent, any further actions = harassment.

(If there’s consent, any further actions = Happy Father’s Day)

NTU’s Take

NTU students are required to go through a similar online module during their orientation camps.

Imagine shouting kukubird and going through the lesson afterwards.

Students who are too old to be freshmen will have to complete it by the end of this semester.

For NTU, there’s no Nina or Kenneth.

But what they do have is to inform them on what counts as harassment, and how victims can protect themselves.

NTU will be working with student leaders of halls and clubs to create a culture of mutual respect.

SMU’s Take

SMU might be the latest to the game but they’re not lagging behind.

They will set up an office specifically for victims of serious cases of sexual misconduct.

They’ll also be implementing a new student disciplinary policy for sexual misconducts on campus.

Respect & Consent Isn’t Common Sense

Despite what you believe, respecting and taking no for an answer isn’t common sense.

So don’t expect your partner to respect your wishes especially if you’re out on a Tinder date.

Regardless of whether you’re a uni student or not, it’s always good to know how to protect yourself in such situations.

Like my teacher once said, a knee to the groin solves a lot of problems.