SINGAPORE: A teacher has been fired after she allegedly abused several children at a preschool in Woodlands and investigations into the case are underway, a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area said on Monday (Aug 28).
This comes after three videos of the teacher's interactions with children surfaced on social media.
In two videos, the teacher can be seen handling children roughly as she tries to force them to drink water. In one, a child wails loudly as she tries to hold their head back. In the other, the woman places a child on the floor and appears to pour water into their mouth.
In the third video, the teacher is seen shouting at a child and hitting them multiple times with a book.
As of 6.20pm on Monday, two Facebook posts containing the videos had been shared more than 10,000 times, with one video racking up more than 250,000 views.
Commenting on one of these posts, Sembawang GRC MP Poh Li San said that the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Early Childhood Development Authority (ECDA) were looking into the case.
"Thanks for highlighting! Such unprofessional and harsh actions to the poor children cannot be condoned," Ms Poh said in response to the post made by Facebook user Claudia Tan.
"We are currently assisting affected parents and children. Also, we are liaising with ECDA and the police to investigate this case."
In response to a CNA query, SPF confirmed that a police report had been lodged regarding the case and that investigations are ongoing.
The incidents allegedly took place at Kinderland Preschool @ Woodlands Mart, and Kinderland's most recent Facebook post dated Aug 21 drew a number of angry comments from people who had seen the videos.
"We have received your feedback. At this time, we ask for privacy for the affected families," said Kinderland Singapore in a comment at about 7.10pm.
Ms Poh also addressed the footage in a post on her Facebook page later on Monday.
"Dear residents and parents of children attending Kinderland @ Woodlands Mart, I understand your concerns and worries related to the videos of a certain teacher rough-handling and smacking children, that are circulating online. Such unprofessional acts certainly cannot be condoned and the staff must be brought to task," she said.
"I understand that the teacher has been dismissed and investigations by ECDA and the police are currently ongoing. I am assisting parents of affected children."
"Meantime, please take care and we will do our best to assist the parents and children affected," she added.
CNA has contacted Kinderland and ECDA for more information.
The parent of one of the children seen in the footage told CNA that she only found out about the alleged abuse after the videos were circulated in a chat group for mothers.
The woman, who declined to be named to protect the identity of her son, was not aware of who recorded the footage or when the incidents occurred.
However, she remembered that the teacher had been in charge of her son's class last year, and recalled an incident where he had expressed sadness upon seeing the teacher.
"There was a time when I sent him to school, as I was putting his socks (on) outside the centre, it was the teacher who was in charge (of) receiving kids in the morning," she said.
"He looked at her, suddenly turned to me and … wanted to cry.
"I asked him: 'Are you okay?' His eyes (were) suddenly teary and (he) wanted to cry."
The woman shared that her son, who is now three years old, had been attending the preschool since he was five or six months old.
She said that she had spoken to the principal and would be lodging a police report shortly. The principal told her that the teacher had been dismissed.
She added that the preschool does not have any cameras.
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This comes after three videos of the teacher's interactions with children surfaced on social media.
In two videos, the teacher can be seen handling children roughly as she tries to force them to drink water. In one, a child wails loudly as she tries to hold their head back. In the other, the woman places a child on the floor and appears to pour water into their mouth.
In the third video, the teacher is seen shouting at a child and hitting them multiple times with a book.
As of 6.20pm on Monday, two Facebook posts containing the videos had been shared more than 10,000 times, with one video racking up more than 250,000 views.
Commenting on one of these posts, Sembawang GRC MP Poh Li San said that the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Early Childhood Development Authority (ECDA) were looking into the case.
"Thanks for highlighting! Such unprofessional and harsh actions to the poor children cannot be condoned," Ms Poh said in response to the post made by Facebook user Claudia Tan.
"We are currently assisting affected parents and children. Also, we are liaising with ECDA and the police to investigate this case."
In response to a CNA query, SPF confirmed that a police report had been lodged regarding the case and that investigations are ongoing.
The incidents allegedly took place at Kinderland Preschool @ Woodlands Mart, and Kinderland's most recent Facebook post dated Aug 21 drew a number of angry comments from people who had seen the videos.
"We have received your feedback. At this time, we ask for privacy for the affected families," said Kinderland Singapore in a comment at about 7.10pm.
Ms Poh also addressed the footage in a post on her Facebook page later on Monday.
"Dear residents and parents of children attending Kinderland @ Woodlands Mart, I understand your concerns and worries related to the videos of a certain teacher rough-handling and smacking children, that are circulating online. Such unprofessional acts certainly cannot be condoned and the staff must be brought to task," she said.
"I understand that the teacher has been dismissed and investigations by ECDA and the police are currently ongoing. I am assisting parents of affected children."
"Meantime, please take care and we will do our best to assist the parents and children affected," she added.
CNA has contacted Kinderland and ECDA for more information.
HE WANTED TO CRY
The parent of one of the children seen in the footage told CNA that she only found out about the alleged abuse after the videos were circulated in a chat group for mothers.
The woman, who declined to be named to protect the identity of her son, was not aware of who recorded the footage or when the incidents occurred.
However, she remembered that the teacher had been in charge of her son's class last year, and recalled an incident where he had expressed sadness upon seeing the teacher.
"There was a time when I sent him to school, as I was putting his socks (on) outside the centre, it was the teacher who was in charge (of) receiving kids in the morning," she said.
"He looked at her, suddenly turned to me and … wanted to cry.
"I asked him: 'Are you okay?' His eyes (were) suddenly teary and (he) wanted to cry."
The woman shared that her son, who is now three years old, had been attending the preschool since he was five or six months old.
She said that she had spoken to the principal and would be lodging a police report shortly. The principal told her that the teacher had been dismissed.
She added that the preschool does not have any cameras.
Continue reading...