PCF kindergarten in Bedok fines late parents

Clivebenss SG

By Qiuyi Tan | Posted: 07 February 2011 2202 hrs

SINGAPORE : A PAP Community Foundation (PCF) kindergarten in Bedok has threatened to fine parents who pick up their kids late from class.

The fine is S$2 for every five minutes that they are late.

While childcare centres are known to have such policies, this practice is uncommon in a kindergarten.

The PCF kindergarten in Block 30, Upper Changi Road said it decided to do something when it faced repeated situations when parents picked up their kids late from school.

It said this affected lunch and dinner breaks of teachers and also affected those on evening course.

In a circular to parents last month, the principal of the kindergarten said it will charge S$2 for every five minutes that they are late.

The PAP Community Foundation told MediaCorp that it knew of the situation but leaves operational matters to the kindergartens themselves to decide.

It added that this late charge is specific to the Bedok branch, and is not a PCF-wide policy.

Not all parents are against the penalty.

One parent said: "This works out to forty cents a minute."

Another added: "I have seen that some parents like to take advantage of the situation, seeing that the principals and teachers stay behind...to say take care of the children for a while.

"For me, it is fair enough, because that is what makes it really work. If they put it at S$1, I do not think it will (work), because it is not much. Every five-minute extension of S$2, I think is very good."

The kindergarten first imposed the penalty last May - but for a smaller amount, and only when parents are late for more than 15 minutes.

It added it has about 10 cases where the parents are late by about two to three hours at times.

One parent said: "For those who have savings, S$2 is no problem for them. If (you are) like me, with no savings, S$2 is (a) problem also."

A senior kindergarten staff said that despite the warnings, no fines have been collected so far.

However, one parent commented: "Putting a fine on late parents is not the solution. They should get parent volunteers after school hours to say, stay back for an hour? Because...money is not a problem, so a fine is not a solution."

Meanwhile, another parent noted: "A fine should be a last resort for any kindergarten to come up with."

My First Skool, which provides infant care to kindergarten, said it also imposes a penalty on parents who are late. But it said it only imposes a penalty after the fourth time.

- CNA/ms

BanguIzai SG

Fine is good, let these parents feel the pinch.

mistyblue SG

Hai ..... the kids just feel like a burden to the adults...

FireIce SG

parents think there got teachers to look after the kids so they dont make it a point to pick the kids up on time.

but the teachers are not paid OT

u cant do anything to the kids but certainly can teach the parents to be more responsible

Clivebenss SG

keep the kids at home lor.

Ä«Õß:¸ïÀë SG

don give birth loh......

righteousrabbit SG

The fine is mandatory and it should be implemented in all PCF Kindergartens.

I am a teacher and i was previously working in one of the PCF Kindergarten. I think the teachers should honestly speak up for their rights as they seem to be constantly bullied being in an awkward "meat patty" in the sandwich situtation.

If you are a teacher who has to teach in two sessions (AM/PM), you will begin the morning session from 8.15am to 12.15pm, with a mere 45 minutes of lunch break and resume the afternoon session from 1 pm to 5pm.

Case scenario 1

Say, if one parent from the morning session comes late for 15-30 minutes, this is what the poor teacher has to experience....

12.15pm - Dismissal time

12.30pm - (Parent came late to pick the child) - Left with 30 minutes for lunch

12.30pm - 12.45pm (Buy lunch and walk back to the centre) Left with 15 minutes to eat

12.45 - 12.55pm (Gobble your lunch down or blend your food using the blender and drink your lunch

12.55pm - 1pm (Fly back to the classroom and open the door for the afternoon lunch)

Case scenario 2

One parent said: "For those who have savings, S$2 is no problem for them. If (you are) like me, with no savings, S$2 is (a) problem also."

Imagine you are the teacer who also has limited budget and are not better well off than the parents and you also have an evening class to go to... (Lecture begins at 6pm)

5pm - Dismissal time

What happens if the parents are late for half an hour, one hour or even two hours and you have no money to take a cab?

The centre does not pay the teacher OT and if the fine is not implemented, the poor teacher has to stretch her limited budget... and what if she also has a family to take care of? Or she has a child to fetch from school too? Teachers also has their family obligations too you know.

Don't you all think the fine is mandatory? PCF Kindergarten (PAP) should not only take care of the needs of the people but also look into the RIGHTS AND NEEDS of the teachers.

BanguIzai SG

The fine is mandatory and it should be implemented in all PCF Kindergartens.

Case scenario 1

Say, if one parent from the morning session comes late for 15-30 minutes, this is what the poor teacher has to experience....

12.15pm - Dismissal time

12.30pm - (Parent came late to pick the child) - Left with 30 minutes for lunch

12.30pm - 12.45pm (Buy lunch and walk back to the centre) Left with 15 minutes to eat

12.45 - 12.55pm (Gobble your lunch down or blend your food using the blender and drink your lunch

12.55pm - 1pm (Fly back to the classroom and open the door for the afternoon lunch)

Case scenario 2

One parent said: "For those who have savings, S$2 is no problem for them. If (you are) like me, with no savings, S$2 is (a) problem also."

Imagine you are the teacer who also has limited budget and are not better well off than the parents and you also have an evening class to go to... (Lecture begins at 6pm)

5pm - Dismissal time

What happens if the parents are late for half an hour, one hour or even two hours and you have no money to take a cab?

Don't you all think the fine is mandatory? PCF Kindergarten (PAP) should not only take care of the needs of the people but also look into the RIGHTS AND NEEDS of the teachers.

good. The "Customer is always Right" mentality should be scrapped because such theory is harmful and illogical.

charlize SG

The fine is mandatory and it should be implemented in all PCF Kindergartens.

Case scenario 1

Say, if one parent from the morning session comes late for 15-30 minutes, this is what the poor teacher has to experience....

12.15pm - Dismissal time

12.30pm - (Parent came late to pick the child) - Left with 30 minutes for lunch

12.30pm - 12.45pm (Buy lunch and walk back to the centre) Left with 15 minutes to eat

12.45 - 12.55pm (Gobble your lunch down or blend your food using the blender and drink your lunch

12.55pm - 1pm (Fly back to the classroom and open the door for the afternoon lunch)

Case scenario 2

One parent said: "For those who have savings, S$2 is no problem for them. If (you are) like me, with no savings, S$2 is (a) problem also."

Imagine you are the teacer who also has limited budget and are not better well off than the parents and you also have an evening class to go to... (Lecture begins at 6pm)

5pm - Dismissal time

What happens if the parents are late for half an hour, one hour or even two hours and you have no money to take a cab?

Don't you all think the fine is mandatory? PCF Kindergarten (PAP) should not only take care of the needs of the people but also look into the RIGHTS AND NEEDS of the teachers.

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