A woman is suing her son's preschool for negligence after he was injured during playtime.
He was pushed off an indoor slide twice by another student, she said at the trial which began at the State Courts on Monday (Sept 7).
The woman alleged that the preschool's teachers had failed to properly supervise the children, adding that there were no safety mats placed under the 75cm-high slide when the incident happened, CNA reported.
She is seeking an unspecified amount in damages.
To prevent the publication of the identities of the woman and her son, as well as the preschool, a gag order has been imposed.
The incident took place on July 12, 2024, when the boy was four years old.
In court, the woman presented four video clips showing events at the preschool's play area that day, claiming that the teachers were not paying sufficient attention to the children.
In one of the clips, she pointed out a girl who was standing at the top of the slide, saying it would be dangerous if the child fell.
Another student hit her head on the wall playing behind the teachers, a second clip showed.
The teachers "were really distracted, both looking at their phones at the same time," the parent said, claiming they only noticed what had happened after the girl cried.
The other two videos showed the interactions between her son and another boy, including a head-on collision.
The woman said her son could be heard saying "pain, pain" afterwards, but the teachers appeared to be unaware of what had happened.
According to the woman, the other boy pushed her son off the slide twice.
Her son fell to the ground but got back up and attempted to climb the slide again.
The other boy, who was sitting at the top, then pushed him off a second time.
Her son used his hand to break the fall, narrowly missing another child who was riding a tricycle nearby, the woman said.
He then ran towards the teachers to show them his hand. The extent of his injuries was not disclosed in court.
The boy's parents became emotional while watching the footage in court, with his father covering his eyes as he cried, CNA reported.
An educator herself, the woman said she understood that teachers had limitations.
But it was reasonable to expect staff to watch out for potential dangers, particularly around a high-risk area such as the slide which had no mats, she added.
According to court documents, the woman said that photographs of the preschool's play area in 2017 showed shock-absorbent mats placed around the slide.
These mats were not present when her son was injured, she pointed out.
During cross-examination, the preschool's lawyer questioned the woman's description of the teachers' behaviour.
He asked about her use of "no effective supervision" in her affidavit and whether she was referring to regulations set by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA).
He also questioned her understanding of the distinction between supervision and effective supervision.
Pointing to photographs of the woman's son that the preschool had regularly sent to her, the defence asked whether she had noticed safety mats in the background.
"We don't look at the surroundings. I trust that there will be safe play around the area," she replied, adding that she focused on her son's face in the photographs to check that he was doing well.
The woman also maintained that teachers should be positioned close to the slide but they were not there when the incident happened.
The court also heard that she had contacted ECDA and wanted the agency to interview her and her husband about what happened.
She said they were not given the opportunity to do so, although she could not recall the exact details of her correspondence with the agency.
The trial is ongoing at the State Courts.
This case follows other incidents where children were injured in preschools.
Last July, a woman raised concerns after her one-year-old daughter suffered a deep cut to her tongue following a fall at Little Footprints Preschool in Ang Mo Kio.
The child required 12 stitches for what was described as a "minor injury".
Renny Izzatie said she was informed by her daughter's form teacher that the child had been injured.
Izzatie also questioned why her daughter was put down for a nap instead of being taken to a clinic.
She called for a review of the preschool's CCTV footage as well as a clearer timeline of what had happened.
At the time, ECDA said that it was investigating the incident, adding that appropriate action would be taken if its investigations found breaches of early childhood development centre regulations.
