Two pre-schools under probe for undesirable practices

SINGAPORE — The authorities here are probing two separate cases of undesirable practices — one involving unhygienic practices and another involving the mishandling of a child — that allegedly took place at two preschools.

In the first case, a teacher at Sparkletots pre-school at Block 19 Teck Whye Lane allegedly pressed her elbow on the back of an 18-month-old boy. The incident was witnessed by the boy’s mother, who has made a police report.

Sharing her experience on a Facebook group on childcare in Singapore on Feb 11, the mother, who goes by the Facebook moniker Mel Da, wrote that she pulled her son out of the pre-school after a week.

She had noticed bruises on his forehead, back and legs and he had also started to lose weight. One day, she stayed behind at the school after dropping off her son, and “was shocked” when she saw him held by his ankles by the teacher. The boy was “struggling as he was pressed down by the teacher’s elbow on his back”.

The teacher apparently let go of the boy when she saw the mother looking, and handed him to another teacher.

According to the post, Mel Da went to see the principal, who apologised after watching CCTV footage. The teacher also apologised but Mel Da withdrew her son after she found another bruise on his stomach.

When contacted by TODAY, Mel Da declined to comment further or identify herself, citing ongoing investigations.

The PAP Community Foundation (PCF), which runs Sparkletots, said it takes a serious view of the incident. “We have conducted our investigation and reported this matter to the relevant authorities,” said a spokesperson.

The teacher, who is a qualified preschool educator, is currently not working at the PCF centre in question, said the spokesperson.

Asked if news of the incident would shake her confidence in the centre, a parent, whose daughter is in nursery and has been at the Sparkletots pre-school for almost two years, said her experience has been “so far, so good”.

A spokesperson for the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) said it is aware of the case. “As the police is currently investigating the case, ECDA is unable to comment further. Nonetheless, ECDA is working with the centre to ensure the safety and well-being of the other children at the centre.”

The other case, involving a preschool in River Valley, surfaced after an anonymous netizen posted pictures of rotting fruit and a bare-bottomed child who had defecated but was uncleaned in a cot. Other pictures depicted seemingly sub-par practices at the preschool, which was not explicitly identified.

The online post, uploaded on Feb 14 and in Chinese, also alleged the preschool had thrown away milk powder that parents had left to feed their children with. It is unclear when the photos were taken.

ECDA said it is aware of the social media article and is currently investigating it. “Under the Child Care Centres Act, all childcare centres are required to meet the stipulated regulatory requirements to protect the safety, wellbeing and welfare of children in centres,” said the ECDA spokesperson.

Several parents and domestic helpers were seen picking up children when TODAY was at Jalan Mutiara on Thursday (Feb 16). One parent, Ms Ashna Kaul, said her two-and-a-half year old daughter had been at the preschool for under a year and the experience has been “just great”.

The police confirmed that a report has been lodged and they are looking into the matter. Attempts to seek a response from the River Valley preschool via email and telephone were unsuccessful.