We thank Mr Tan Chee Tat for his letter “Naming the pre-schools allegedly involved in child abuse cases could lead to more accountability” (March 2).

We agree on the need for transparency and accountability in cases of child mismanagement in a pre-school. The key priority of the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) is to protect the child’s interests and well-being.

When there is evidence of child mismanagement, ECDA requires the pre-school to inform parents of enrolled children. ECDA holds errant pre-school operators accountable by issuing financial penalties, shortening the centre’s licence tenure, withdrawing its Singapore Preschool Accreditation Framework certification, or revoking its licence if necessary.

For the pre-school staff involved, ECDA can issue warnings or bar them from working in the pre-school sector. Serious cases where criminal offences may be involved will be referred to the police for investigation.

As part of ECDA’s ongoing review of the penalty framework for operators, we will consider Mr Tan’s suggestion to make public the pre-schools that have been sanctioned for regulatory lapses.

Bernadette Alexander
Director, Regulation and Licensing Division
Early Childhood Development Agency