Pre-school principal keeps an eye on domestic violence cases
Ms Gillian Neo, principal of My First Skool pre-school at Ang Mo Kio, who started an initiative to train her teachers to identify and support children exposed to domestic violence received an Outstanding Early Childhood Leader Award from the Early Childhood Development Agency’s annual conference. Photo: Faris Mokhtar
SINGAPORE — Last year, Ms Gillian Neo, principal of My First Skool pre-school at Ang Mo Kio, started an initiative to train her teachers to identify and support children exposed to domestic violence.
She works together with the Centre for Promoting Alternatives to Violence (Pave) to conduct workshops for her teachers, who then guide other teachers to do the same.
For her efforts, she received an Outstanding Early Childhood Leader Award from the Early Childhood Development Agency’s annual conference on Friday (Oct 6).
First launched in 2013, the ECDA awards recognise educators and pre-schools for their excellence in teaching and innovative practices. This year, 24 awards were given to early childhood professionals and centres.
Ms Neo, 31, who has been with My First Skool since 2007 and its principal for six years, told TODAY that she has encountered a handful of students who have been physically or emotionally abused.
At the end of last year, for instance, she met a mother who broke down while confiding in her about an abusive husband. Ms Neo later discovered that the woman’s oldest child, a four-year-old boy who attends her pre-school, had also been beaten up by his father before.
Ms Neo said: “There are many elements involved in a pre-school setting. It’s not all about prioritising education. We need to take into account social factors like families as well as the children’s emotional needs.”
To ensure that teachers at the pre-school are able to help detect such abuse cases, Ms Neo decided to partner Pave, one of three family violence specialist centres in Singapore. About 10 teachers have attended two workshops conducted by Pave at the pre-school. They will then guide other teachers based on what they have learnt.
To encourage children to develop “a love for nature” and be more active outdoors, Ms Neo spearheaded another project in 2011 to have a community garden near the pre-school. She worked with Ang Mo Kio Town Council and the National Parks Board on this.
One of the residents in the neighbourhood, an “Auntie Margaret” who is a retired horticulturalist in her 70s, collaborated with the pre-school to determine the types of herbs and vegetables that would be showcased in the garden especially for the children.
“For instance, no cactus because they’re sharp,” Ms Neo said. “I wanted vegetables that would give students a bit of learning adventure. Like radish, for instance. The children can just pluck them once they’re grown.”
The principal also wanted her students to learn more about global warming, and the need for them to play a role in protecting the natural environment.
“Global warming is a serious issue. And the future generations need to know that they have a responsibility to prevent it from escalating,” she added.
