Soon after enrolling her daughter in a preschool in Yishun, a mother was shocked to learn from the girl that a teacher had apparently\u00a0\u201cbeat\u201d her on three separate occasions.<\/p>\n
The woman, who only wanted to be known as Mrs Jek<\/strong>, said her 24-month-old daughter started school on Sept 22.<\/p>\n Her daughter had been living in Australia<\/a> with some relatives for about half a year, as Mrs Jek \u2014 who is Singaporean \u2014 and her husband focused on relocating to Singapore.<\/p>\n The family had chosen the preschool in question due to its proximity to their home.<\/p>\n \u201cI also hoped that a private preschool<\/a> would provide more personalised attention as the intake would usually be lesser, (and there is) better communication with parents,\u201d shared Mrs Jek.<\/p>\n However, within a matter of weeks, her daughter shared something that sounded concerning.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring playtime with her father, my daughter shared that a teacher had beaten her<\/a> during the second and third weeks of school,\u201d said the Stomper, who is a preschool educator herself.<\/p>\n \u201cI felt it was important to take her words seriously while allowing time to understand what had happened,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n The couple decided to observe the situation before raising their concerns, but felt they could no longer ignore the matter after the girl \u201cbrought it up on three separate occasions and repeatedly demonstrated the same action while pointing to the same area where she said the teacher had hit her\u201d.<\/p>\n Mrs Jek said her daughter had even pleaded \u201cmummy, please, no, no,\u201d on the way to school one day.<\/p>\n When the parents brought their concerns to the school, they were reportedly told that a review of the CCTV footage showed that the teacher had \u201ctapped\u201d the toddler while she was rocking on a chair to prevent a possible accident.<\/p>\n According to them, the school further suggested that the action might have happened \u201cso quickly\u201d that Mrs Jek\u2019s daughter \u201cperceived it as being beaten\u201d.<\/p>\n However, the Stomper remained unconvinced, saying her daughter had been taught to stop whatever she was doing when she hears the word \u201cupset\u201d or \u201cI am angry with you\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it was only a tap, why did our toddler repeatedly express fear when approaching the preschool?\u201d the mother further questioned.<\/p>\n Although the school supposedly apologised and asked for a second chance, the Stomper wanted to discuss the matter with her husband first, who subsequently requested to view the CCTV footage for a better understanding of what happened.<\/p>\n After receiving no satisfactory response, the parents decided to withdraw their children from the preschool.<\/p>\n The school declined immediate withdrawal, citing a two-month notice period, so they sought assistance from the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA)<\/a> and lodged a police report.<\/p>\n Stomp understands that ECDA\u2019s investigations are ongoing.<\/p>\n Since her report to ECDA, Mrs Jek said that the preschool\u2019s communication has been more prompt. She was also informed that the teacher in question had been suspended.<\/p>\n \u201cMy concern is that the principal\u2019s explanation focused on one particular incident, whereas my daughter had shared her experience with her father on three separate occasions.<\/p>\n \u201cI am still waiting for these repeated accounts to be properly addressed,\u201d said the worried mother.<\/p>\n When asked why she chose to share this with Stomp, Mrs Jek said: \u201cI believe every child deserves to feel safe, respected and protected in school.\u201d<\/p>\n She added that parents should not have to \u201cstruggle to obtain clarity\u201d when young children express concerns about their experiences.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope that sharing this experience will encourage greater awareness, transparency and accountability in preschool settings, so that no parent has to question whether their child is safe in a place where they are supposed to be cared for<\/a>,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Responding to Stomp\u2019s queries via email, a representative from the preschool said on Oct 27 that it was aware of the concerns raised by Mrs Jek.<\/p>\n The school also emphasised that \u201canything relating to children\u2019s well-being is taken very seriously\u201d.<\/p>\n As a precautionary measure, the staff member concerned is not on duty while investigations are underway.<\/p>\n In response to a Stomp query, the police confirm that a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.<\/p>\n Have something to say? Join in!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Explore more on these topics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n See something interesting? Contribute<\/a> your story to us.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nSchool says teacher \u2018tapped\u2019 daughter<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/div>\nParents lodge report with ECDA and police<\/h2>\n
School: Staff not on duty during investigation<\/h2>\n
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