For four years she thought about the children she taught at the Waikato centre in 2017 and the complaint she felt was never heard. The academic and fully qualified early childhood teacher didn t stay long because of the control and restraint techniques she said were used as punishment for misbehaviour. The woman said it was common practice for children to be put in the bathroom unsupervised for longer than 20 minutes if they used toilet talk – words like poo or bum. “I remember one particular child had been put into the toilet and just forgotten about and when I went to check on him off my own bat I saw he was just swinging off the bars in there and he could have had an accident. Other things that would happen would be grabbing children by the arms and yanking them.
ECE teacher: There was just silence from Ministry of Education over child abuse fears at daycare
5 Feb, 2021 12:42 AM
6 minutes to read
A teacher who reported an ECE centre for punishing toddlers by putting them in isolation or forcing them to sit on a mat for hours fears the abuse is continuing. Photo / File
A teacher who reported an ECE centre for punishing toddlers by putting them in isolation or forcing them to sit on a mat for hours fears the abuse is continuing. Photo / File
RNZ
By Charlotte Cook of RNZ
A teacher who reported an early childhood centre for punishing toddlers by putting them in isolation or forcing them to sit on a mat for hours fears the abuse is continuing.
Ministry of Education process stifled complaints of abuse at childcare centre, teacher says
25 Jan, 2021 09:19 PM
5 minutes to read
The Pitter Patter Education Centre in Feilding. Photo / RNZ
RNZ
By Charlotte Cook for RNZ
The Ministry of Education made it hard to make allegations of mistreatment against the owner of a Feilding childcare centre, a staff member of the centre says.
The Ministry s complaints process would refer all complaints straight back to the owner of The Pitter Patter Education Centre.
The centre had its licence suspended for three weeks in November after complaints that toddlers would be smacked, locked in rooms as punishment, and fed mouldy food.
The Pitter Patter Education Centre in Feilding.
Photo: RNZ / Sarah Robson
The Ministry s complaints process would refer all complaints straight back to the owner of The Pitter Patter Education Centre.
The centre had its licence suspended for three weeks in November after complaints that toddlers would be smacked, locked in rooms as punishment, and fed mouldy food.
The Ministry of Education launched an investigation into Feilding s Pitter Patter Childcare Centre in December after more than 17 former staff and parents complained that the owner was violent to children.
The centre re-opened after its suspension on the condition that the owner and manager, Pauline Murphy, stayed away.