Child Abuse Cases in Preschools and Teacher Support Measures Identified

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) for each year in the past five years, how many cases of child abuse in preschools have the Early Childhood Development Agency investigated; (b) whether there is a rising trend of child abuse in preschools; and (c) whether the Ministry has identified any upstream measures that can be implemented to help preschool teachers cope with the demands of their jobs.

The number of child mismanagement cases investigated by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) increased slightly from 137 cases in 2022 to 147 cases in 2023. The three-year average number of substantiated child mismanagement cases increased slightly from about 11 cases per 100,000 children enrolled in 2022 to about 12 cases in 2023. The increase in the number of investigations and substantiated child mismanagement cases can be attributed to increased vigilance and awareness of appropriate reporting channels among parents and educators.

All educators are expected to provide a safe and conducive environment for children. ECDA has strengthened training programmes so that all educators are clear of their obligations to ensure child safety. Additionally, ECDA is also reviewing our regulatory framework, with a view to enhance the penalty provisions on errant operators.

ECDA has introduced measures to improve the educators' well-being and working conditions so that they can better care for our children. This includes removing the requirement for childcare centres to operate on Saturdays from 2025 and designating Teachers' Day and Children's Day as preschool holidays, on top of six Development Days from 2024 onwards. This allows the educators to have more time to rest and focus on their development.

ECDA is also looking to put in place a relief staff pool to better enable educators to take time-off. Parents also play a role in appreciating the work of our educators and having reasonable expectations on educators, such as when to expect replies to messages sent at night.