My First Skool in Toa Payoh gets licence tenure cut

My First Skool in Toa Payoh gets licence tenure cut

    By Kimberly Spykerman
    POSTED: 18 Jul 2013 12:32 PM

The childcare centre involved in the alleged child abuse case has had its licence tenure cut from 24 months to six months.

SINGAPORE: The childcare centre involved in the alleged child abuse case has had its licence tenure cut from 24 months to six months.

Earlier this month, a teacher there was arrested after CCTV footage showed her allegedly dragging a three-year-old boy across the floor and pushing him to the floor with force.

The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) said that it conducted its investigations at My First Skool in Toa Payoh and found that there were certain aspects that required improvements.

This means that ECDA will conduct more frequent checks at the centre and it will have to demonstrate its compliance with certain conditions. This includes providing better support and training to its teachers to handle difficult situations, clearer standard operating procedures for reporting incidents, and improving its programmes.

Acting Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing added that following the alleged abuse incident, the priority is to strengthen processes within the sector, as well as build trust between parents, teachers and operators.

He said this on Thursday on the sidelines of a visit to teacher training programmes and pre-schools under the Crestar Education Group.

Mr Chan said: "Over the next six months we fully expect NTUC My First Skool to work closely with ECDA to comply with the regulations so that they can up their standards necessary. And then we will review the situation after six months."

- CNA/ac/xq

- wong chee tat :)