ECDA mandates preschool CCTV by July 2024 amid Kinderland controversy

SINGAPORE: The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) announced on Thursday (31 Aug) that all preschools and government-funded early intervention centers will be required to have closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) in place by July 2024.

The announcement arrives while investigations continue into the reported mistreatment of numerous children enrolled in Kinderland centers, specifically at the Woodlands and Sunshine Place branches in Choa Chu Kang.

The ECDA mentioned that this action is a component of their routine assessment of security and safety protocols within the early childhood sector, and is unrelated to the recent incidents.

They further emphasized that this choice also factored in the opinions of parents, educators, and operators of preschools.

The agency said it had been engaging the preschool sector since 2022, and it informed operators in February this year of plans to make CCTVs compulsory.

From 1 July 2024, CCTV cameras will be required in key access points and areas used by children such as classrooms, activity rooms, play areas within the premises and infant napping rooms.

To ensure the privacy of employees and children, CCTV cameras will not be allowed in toilets, changing rooms and staff rest areas.

CCTV installation and guidelines by ECDA

ECDA added that more than 60 per cent of preschools and all early intervention centers have already set up CCTV cameras on their premises.

“CCTV cameras will enhance the security of the preschool by deterring suspicious or unauthorized persons from entering the premises,” said ECDA.

“In the event of incidents, CCTV footage can be an objective and reliable source of evidence to support the investigation.

“The implementation of CCTV cameras will complement existing measures to provide a safe and secure environment in our preschools so parents and educators will have a greater peace of mind,” the agency said.

They added that “parents’ access to CCTV footage will only be granted for the purposes of providing an objective reference point to clarify feedback or to assist the investigation of serious incidents within the preschool premises, and the request should be within reasonable grounds.”

The agency stated that preschools have the authority to reject a parent’s request if it is considered to be unreasonable.

They further mentioned that in situations where access is granted, measures need to be implemented to guarantee the privacy and safety of other staff and children captured in the CCTV footage.

Affected parents of Kinderland Woodlands released a statement 

On 30 August, affected parents issued a statement within a Facebook group titled “Childcare in Singapore,” advocating for justice on behalf of children who were impacted by purported mistreatment at Kinderland Woodlands.

A group of fifteen parents whose children belong to the same class as the individuals depicted in the video of alleged abuse have stepped forward to assert that Kinderland did not make any attempts to contact them and offer apologies, contrary to the previous statement released by Kinderland.

“Instead, we took the initiative to reach out to Kinderland Woodlands Mart on 30 August 2023 at 1 PM to ask for explanations and solutions,” the group said.

However, despite their attempts to reach out, the response from the centre’s Parents Relations and Enrolment Manager was “to come back on another day.”

This left the parents feeling that the center was not empathetic or understanding about the trauma their children had faced.

“None of us have indicated to the centre’s Parents Relations and Enrolment Manager that we have accepted any apology,” they said.

Statement from affected parents of Kinderland Woodlands (Photo: ‘Childcare in Singapore’ group/Facebook)

The group, including the parents of the two victims shown in the viral video, stated that they would visit Kinderland Woodlands Mart on a designated date and time.

Their purpose is to have Kinderland HQ provide explanations to the parents of the affected children who are in the same class.

They made three requests to Kinderland HQ: Firstly, to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident and ensure those responsible are held accountable.

Secondly, to swiftly implement measures like installing CCTV to prevent future abuse, without waiting until 2024.

Lastly, they called for the immediate dismissal of the principal and their prohibition from working in the preschool sector.

They ended the statement by quoting the late Princess Diana, “I will fight for my children on any level so they can reach their potential as human beings.”