The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has fined a preschool S$26,200 and taken action against its staff members following the conviction of its former cook for molesting three of its toddlers.
The preschool was also restricted from new enrolments, an ECDA spokesperson told MS News in a statement on Wednesday (29 Oct).
Source: Google Maps
ECDA said it uncovered multiple breaches in the school’s safety procedures during an investigation that was completed in February 2024.
It then proceeded to impose S$26,200 worth of financial penalties on the preschool in May 2024.
Additionally, it restricted all new enrollments and directed the school to submit a corrective action plan, which it submitted in June 2024.
To ensure that the school’s proposed corrective measures are effective, its licence tenure was reduced from 36 months to six months, and subsequent renewals will also be for a six-month period.
The agency reserves the right not to renew the preschool’s licence if warranted, it added.
The court has imposed a gag order on the preschool’s name to protect the victims.
Additionally, ECDA has taken action against four management staff at the preschool who allegedly omitted information on the incidents.
All four have been removed from their posts and charged in court.
One of them was discharged by the courts and given a stern warning in July this year, but the other three were also charged with tampering with evidence.
As court proceedings for these three are ongoing, ECDA is unable to elaborate on their alleged offences.
Source: MS News
ECDA has also taken action against four teaching staff members for failing to supervise the children with vigilance.
One of them was given a stern reminder, while the other three were issued warnings.
These warnings which must be declared and considered when they seek re-employment in the preschool sector over the next two years.
On Monday (27 Oct), Teo Guan Huat, the preschool’s former cook, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting three girls at the school between May and November 2023.
Source: Teo Guan Huat on LinkedIn
He committed the offences when the girls — aged from one to two — were having naptime.
Though he was not supposed to do so, he had helped escort children to their showers, set up mattresses for naptime and patted the kids to sleep.
The 61-year-old Singapore permanent resident faced three counts of using criminal force to outrage the modesty of toddlers.
The judge adjourned sentencing for 10 Nov, with the prosecution calling for at least 10 years in prison.
ECDA, which was informed of one of Teo’s offences by the preschool on 5 Dec 2023, later learnt of the further offences from the police and the preschool.
It reminded all preschool operators that they must “establish necessary systems and processes” stipulated by the Early Childhood Development Centres Act and Regulations.
Part of this entails seeking ECDA’s approval before deploying any non-teaching staff as programme helpers for activities involving children, and ensuring these programme helpers are closely supervised when they assist with routine tasks, it said, adding:
To ensure that all staff working in preschools, including non-teaching staff, are fit to work with young children, ECDA will conduct checks to assess that individuals do not pose a risk to children’s safety or have been barred from working in the pre-school sector, before ECDA approves their deployment.
Preschools should also have their own procedures when recruiting people who are suitable to work with or around young children.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and Teo Guan Huat on LinkedIn.