An important thread connects these stories – most of these settings with minors may not have mandatory surveillance features, with a few incidents only surfacing due to eagle-eyed parents noticing physical changes in their children, or fears of going to school.
Singapore scores "A"s in a global index on child online safety – but some are contesting the complete opposite when it comes to physical safety in educational institution settings. Local authorities are in a race to clamp down on safety breaches in schools even as parents sound increasingly urgent calls for transparency, amid rising cases of child abuse, accidents and death.
2023 alone witnessed the case of a Primary 1 student who went missing for two hours before she was found locked in a school bus, as well as investigations into multiple abuse cases by preschool teachers to children as young as two years old. There was also the death of a 14-year-old student following a fitness trial. In 2024, similar incidents are still being reported.
