That is what Singaporean mother and Instagram user brnca had to go through. On a post on her Instagram page, she wrote about her son’s experience of child abuse at his previous preschool.
Along with several pictures of the bruise on her son’s face, her caption explained that she had to take her son out of the centre and move him to a different one as he had grown extremely fearful of going back to his previous school.
Image source: Instagram user brnca
What did the school do?
Having attempted to lodge a complaint to the school management, she explains that she received a less than satisfactory response.
In a quote taken from her Instagram post, she says, “We are very disappointed with the school management as because they promised an investigation but in the end, they told us it’s due to a fall in the padded playground area. A fall in the padded playground only results in such a small bruise?”
A disappointing response
It is indeed disappointing and upsetting that the school management did not do more to help out a parent who was concerned for her child’s well-being.
Parents entrust preschools, along with preschool educators and caregivers to look after their children as if they were their own. It is heartbreaking to hear that this parent’s issue was brushed off so carelessly.
Especially when she explains how she needs to constantly reassure her son that he no longer needs to return to the old centre – her child has become traumatised by the incident.
She goes on to say that, “…it is absolutely disheartening to be brushed off with an at best lacklustre investigation and a condescending attitude by an operator who possibly has lost sight of their mission and core values in the midst of chasing profitability.”
Seeking help from the authorities
Thankfully, she has taken her action on her own by contacting and involving Singapore’s Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
Hopefully, with the help of the police and ECDA looking into her case, the matter will be resolved. Should the teacher be found guilty of abusing this child that was entrusted into her care, we are optimistic that the school will take appropriate action.
We have contacted the boy’s mother.
What can you do to prevent child abuse from happening?
- Trust. Create a relationship with your child where he or she feels comfortable trusting you. The parent above also mentioned how thankful she was that her son trusted her enough to let her know what had happened, else the matter might have gone unnoticed.
- Talk. Talking to your child on a daily basis keeps you up to date with the happenings in their daily lives. Should something sound amiss about their day, you will be able to gently probe to get more information.
- Observe. By observing your child’s behaviour, you will be able to identify if he or she is acting strange. Are they quieter than normal? Are they acting up more? Either of these could be an indication that something did not go as per normal at school.
- Check. Doing a background check on schools can be helpful in preventing a case like this from happening to you. Speak to fellow mummies about preschools they have gone to and trust. Ensure that the school management provides a good and open channel of communication between parents and school facilitators.
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