Unless you’re the least news-savvy individual in history, you would surely already know of the Kinderland fiasco: a saga so intense it nearly rivalled the hype of the Presidential election race. But if you seriously have no idea what I’m talking about, or if you’re wondering whether I’m preaching a new variation of the Kinder chocolates, here’s a video that you might find informative:
However, if you’re a more textual kind of person, you can read these articles here and here.
Ho Ching Responded to Kinderland Saga, Supporting Teacher B
Still clueless about who Teacher A is, who Teacher B is and perhaps even who Ho Ching is? No worries, we got you. Simply put, Teacher A was the aggressor in the Kinderland @ Woodlands Mart incident. She was caught on video abusing children in her care and was later subjected to investigations.
Teacher A, a 33-year-old Singaporean named Li Min, was eventually dismissed from her post. She is currently in remand, and will face court proceedings on 13 September 2023.
If found guilty of child mistreatment, she could face up to eight years in prison and/or a fine of up to $8,000.
Meanwhile, Teacher B, a 37-year-old Singaporean, was the one who had filmed and leaked the videos. Initially refuting claims that she had recorded and/or posted the videos, she later confirmed in a CNA interview that, yes, she had recorded the footage.
When queried, she expressed that she had been concerned with Teacher A’s treatment of the children, and was frustrated that the pre-school’s principal had not taken her worries seriously.
And last but certainly not least, we have Ho Ching, the current director of Temasek Trust and the wife of the current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Following the whole Kinderland saga, Ho Ching has since offered her own insights and voiced out her support for Teacher B in a Facebook post.
In the post, which was uploaded on 2 September 2023, Ho Ching condemned the actions of the preschool principal as well as relevant bosses, stating that it was wrong for them to “not take such reports of abuse seriously.”
She also highlighted the importance of safety for the young ones, and how “a policy of no personal devices at this time” is a no go.
For contextual purposes, it was recently unveiled that Kinderland has imposed a personal device ban on its teachers. This prompted outrage from Netizens, who thought that such an act could discourage whistleblowing.
“Is this to cover up the embarrassment and prevent future incidents of video evidence of abuse?” she wrote.
“If so, that is absolutely the wrong approach.”
It should be noted, however, that all local preschools will have to be equipped with CCTV cameras by July 2024.
She then voiced her support for Teacher B, and stated that the Principal should have been “taken to task.”
“The teacher in question is right to film it, esp as a last resort if her principal refuses to take the feedback seriously,” Ho Ching wrote. “The Principal should be taken to task.”
For the record, the principal in question, Ms Mahirah Yasid, has since been redeployed to other roles in the company. The move seems to have materialised after angry parents took to the preschool’s premises demanding answers.
“The Principal and the management of the kindergarten are as irresponsible as the teacher who is abusing the kids, if they had ignored reports of abuse,” stated Ho Ching.
However, she conceded that the videos should be uploaded only as a “last resort” and that the “identities of the children” should be protected at all costs.
You can view the full post down below:
The post has since garnered a decent amount of attention, with several Netizens thanking Ho Ching for speaking up.
Meanwhile, some offered suggestions, while others inquired.
There was also another alleged Kinderland Woodlands mart mistreatment account in the comments section, which other Netizens have since announced as “unacceptable”.
Ho Ching
The director of Temasek Trust has been relatively outspoken about current issues on her Facebook page, and had previously answered a Netizen’s query about local housing systems.
Just recently, she also publicly condemned a dine-and-dash couple, stating that we should “try to find these folks” and “cane them properly for preying on the weak and vulnerable.”
Apart from her thoughts on current issues, Ho Ching also likes sharing informative articles and, interestingly, dad jokes.
I wonder if there’s one about the famous magic cup.
It seems that massive damage has been done to Kinderland’s reputation, as numerous parents have already pulled their children out of Kinderland’s preschools.
Lest you’re unaware, Kinderland Preschool @ Woodlands Mart isn’t the only place under fire. Kinderland Preschool @ Choa Chu Kang Sunshine Place has also attracted ire after a 19-second video of alleged child abuse surfaced.
Both the ECDA and the police are actively investigating this incident.
As such, these parents cited safety reasons as the primary cause for the withdrawal of their children.
Elsewhere, Netizens have also been critical of Kinderland’s Facebook page.
As for the latest developments, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has issued another statement addressing the ongoing crisis.
The ECDA has reportedly levied a fine of S$5,000 on the Kinderland Preschool situated at Woodlands Mart, expressing regret for their delayed response to the alarming videos that surfaced on 17 August 2023.
They will also maintain a close watch on all Kinderland preschools, implementing more frequent unannounced checks to scrutinize their classroom management practices rigorously.
As for Teacher A, she has since received a formal warning in accordance with the regulations of the Early Childhood Development Centres and has been barred from seeking employment in the preschool sector.
The police are conducting further investigations into the matter. Currently, Lin is under remand at the Institute of Mental Health and is slated to appear in court again on 13 September 2023.
