Singapore pre-school fined S$26,200 and barred from new enrolments after cook molested three toddlers
Singapore’s Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has penalised and restricted a pre-school after its former cook molested three toddlers. Three staff were also barred from the pre-school sector for regulatory lapses that compromised children’s safety.
- A Singapore pre-school was fined S$26,200 and banned from new enrolments after a cook molested three toddlers.
- The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) sanctioned the school and barred several staff from the sector.
- ECDA reaffirmed zero tolerance for safety breaches and announced ongoing reforms to protect children.
SINGAPORE: A pre-school in Singapore has been fined and banned from enrolling new students after its former cook molested three toddlers, sparking public outrage and prompting tighter safety measures in the early childhood sector.
Cook found guilty of molesting three girls
According to the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), 61-year-old Teo Guan Huat, the school’s former cook, molested three girls aged between one and two years old while they were napping between May and November 2023.
His actions were captured on CCTV footage, but the recordings were later deleted, delaying the report to police. Authorities were only alerted weeks after the incidents occurred.
Teo has since been convicted and is awaiting sentencing on 10 November 2025. Prosecutors described his crimes as among the most egregious cases of sexual abuse in a pre-school setting.
ECDA penalises pre-school, bars staff from sector
Due to a court gag order protecting the victims, the pre-school’s name has not been disclosed.
Following investigations, ECDA fined the school S$26,200 (approximately US$19,100) in May 2024 and restricted new enrolments, while reducing its licence tenure from 36 months to six months.
The pre-school was also ordered to submit a corrective action plan to address systemic safety lapses and strengthen staff supervision protocols.
Four management personnel were held responsible for concealing information about the incidents.
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Three of them were permanently barred from working in the pre-school sector.
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Four teaching staff received disciplinary action for failing to exercise adequate vigilance.
ECDA vows zero tolerance for safety breaches
In a statement released on 29 October 2025, ECDA stressed that “regulatory lapses that compromise children’s safety and well-being in pre-schools are not acceptable” and that firm action would be taken against operators or staff who neglect their duty of care.
The agency also highlighted ongoing reforms, including a mandatory CCTV requirement in all pre-schools from July 2024 and a 24-hour reporting rule for incidents involving children’s safety.
