Couple files police report after twin toddlers get bitten in Choa Chu Kang pre-school

The parents of two one-year-old girls have filed a police report against a pre-school in Choa Chu Kang after both children were bitten in school. 

Yao, 36, told Shin Min Daily News that his twin daughters have been enrolled in My First Skool's infant care programme since they were three months old.

At around 5pm on Jan 23, his wife received a call from the pre-school, asking her to bring their daughter home as she had been bitten by a classmate.

His wife told the Chinese evening daily: "I immediately rushed to the centre and found a cut on my daughter's eyelid, which broke my heart.

"I wanted to ask what had happened, but the teacher seemed very stressed and even cried."

When the 33-year-old mother probed the school for more details the next day, the teacher in charge reportedly said that her older daughter was lying down to rest when a classmate beside her suddenly walked over and bit her.

"As for the other specifics, the teacher in charge refused to address it clearly, and the principal later said that the children were playing around as normal," she shared.

"I was displeased but the school promised to pay extra attention in the future, so I did not pursue it."

Younger daughter bitten on neck

A month later on the afternoon of Feb 22, however, they received another call from the school, informing them that their youngest daughter, the other twin girl, had been bitten on the neck. However, the school did not specify the extent of her injury, said the mother.

It was only when she went to fetch her daughter after work that she found obvious tooth marks on the back of the toddler's head, as well as blood stains, redness and inflammation around the wound.

The mother revealed that she had heard another parent asking: "Why has the child been bitten again?" 

"Hearing this made me shocked and angry, and I became even more dissatisfied with the school's attitude towards the incidents.

"It turned out that so many children have been bitten, but this problem has not been resolved. It's too outrageous."

Police report filed

The mother emphasised that she understands children will occasionally fight or clash with each other, but the mother said she could not accept the school's attitude.

"Both of my daughters got bitten in the span of one month, how can they (the school) be so negligent?" she questioned.

She lodged a police report on Feb 22, after bringing her daughter to visit the doctor that night. The couple are currently searching for a new childcare centre to enrol their daughters in.

Responding to Shin Min's queries, the police confirmed that they have received a report.

ECDA informed about incidents: Pre-school

When contacted by AsiaOne, a spokesperson for My First Skool said that the safety and well-being of children is their top priority and stressed that all infant care teachers are trained and children are closely supervised at all times.

"As biting is a natural developmental phase, especially in teething infants, we pay extra attention to infants who may display a tendency to bite by keeping them nearer to the teachers," explained the spokesperson.

Infant care teachers at the pre-school are trained to deter children from biting by using teething toys, as well as firm guidance and positive reinforcement for alternative, non-biting ways of interaction.

"We regret that despite our teachers' best efforts, unfortunately two separate biting incidents occurred at one of our infant care centres on Jan 23 and Feb 22 respectively," said the spokesperson.

The parents were informed on the same day of the incidents, said My First Skool, adding that they have maintained contact with them.

"We have informed the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) about the incidents and are providing ECDA our full co-operation in their investigations.

"We appreciate your continued trust and support as we work to maintain a safe and nurturing setting for our children."

In response to AsiaOne's queries, a spokesperson for the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) said on Thursday (March 7) that they have determined that the centre had taken "reasonably practicable measures" to supervise the children.

"We recognise parents' concerns when their child has been bitten by another child. There are many reasons why some children bite and it is often seen in children under the age of three, who may lack the language skills to communicate," said the spokesperson.

"In such instances, we encourage parents to raise their concerns with their child's preschool so that appropriate measures can be put in place to address the behaviour."

ECDA added that the pre-school management is following up with the parents of the affected children, and the agency has also advised the pre-school to work with the parents of the child who bit the classmates on strategies to support the child's development.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com