Trusting local preschools and other such institutions with the care of our children comes with expectations. It can be devastating when these authorities fail in their duties.
Such was the case for a couple, who enrolled their 20-month-old daughter in a preschool at Aljunied. Soon after, she began sustaining various bruises.
Her parents have since filed a police report against the school.
Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, Ms Cai – surname transliterated from Chinese – shared that her daughter started attending a preschool in Aljunied Link Road on 3 Oct.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
Less than two weeks later, the school informed them that a teacher had found a scar on her thigh while changing her diaper. They said her daughter had probably scratched it herself.
Ms Cai found this suspicious, as self-inflicted scratches by her daughter typically do not leave behind such big marks. “Plus, I trim her nails every two or three days,” she added.
As it was the first such incident, they did not pursue it further. However, the situation soon escalated.
On the afternoon of 26 Oct, the preschool contacted the couple again. Their daughter had a fall and, in the process, hit her chin and bit her tongue.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
Finding their explanation inconsistent, Ms Cai and her husband started having their doubts about the institution.
The day after, she was bathing her daughter with her helper when they found more bruises.
This time around, the marks were on her forehead, chin and inner thighs. She was especially concerned about the discolouration on the inner thighs, as she suspected them to be caused by pinches.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
They instantly reported it to the school. However, the staff refuted their claims by stating that their daughter did not fall or have an accident.
The teacher had seen the injury as well, but assumed it was an old one caused by her family.
“We thought the situation was serious and decided to call the police,” Ms Cai said.
The principal of the preschool told Shin Min Daily News that Ms Cai had expressed dissatisfaction over the way a teacher held her daughter.
She then indicated that the child would no longer be attending the school. However, her enrolment continued despite the altercation.
As for the multiple scratches and bruises, her teacher came to the conclusion that they were injuries sustained at home.
After the first incident, the principal said the preschool had arranged for a teacher to come down and look after the children.
To appease Ms Cai, she contacted the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Early Childhood Development Agency for an investigation on 27 Oct.
The two teachers in question look after four other students, she said. They have more than 10 years of teaching experience as well.
In addition, CCTV footage did not reveal any incidents of the child sustaining blows to her forehead or inner thighs.
The principal pointed out that the bruise on her chin was probably from the fall she had suffered. Regarding the other bruises, however, the reasons for them remained unclear.
The child’s parents had stated their suspicions of the injuries occurring in the toilet, where there is no CCTV. Addressing their concerns, the principal said CCTV footage of the corridor outside the toilet showed the child to be in a stable mood, with no evidence of tears.
“If she was really abused, she should have cried out, but we have all handed it over to the authorities for investigation,” she added.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News on Facebook.
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