ECDA issues warning to Little Paddington Preschool for sudden closure of Bishan branch
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The Little Paddington Preschool outlet in Bishan gave parents of enrolled children only a week’s notice that it would be closing.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Clay Lim
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SINGAPORE – The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has issued a formal warning to Little Paddington Preschool following its breach of regulatory requirements.
The pre-school in Bishan, which eventually ceased operations on June 13, gave parents of enrolled children only a week’s notice
This was an extension, given that parents were earlier informed on May 30 that the centre would close the next day on May 31, as it could not reach an agreement with its landlord. They were also told that their children would be relocated to the Thomson Walk branch on June 2.
In a statement on July 10, ECDA said the pre-school had failed to promptly inform parents and ECDA once it was notified of the possibility of a non-renewal of their tenancy.
“It has also not adhered to the agency’s regulatory requirement to provide parents and ECDA with a six months’ written notice ahead of the cessation,” it said.
The Straits Times has contacted Little Paddington Preschool for comment. The pre-school operator has 10 branches across Singapore in areas such as Kovan, Tanglin, East Coast and Sixth Avenue.
Of the 16 children at the affected branch, 13 have been transferred to the pre-school operator’s Thomson Walk outlet, while the remaining three children have withdrawn from the pre-school, said ECDA.
Sudden pre-school closures are disruptive to parents and children, ECDA said, adding that it takes such regulatory breaches seriously.
As part of the condition of their licence to run a pre-school, operators are required to submit up-to-date information on their tenancy agreement to ECDA.
Operators’ regulatory breaches will affect their chances at a successful renewal of their licence or application for a new licence, the agency said.
“However, ECDA is not always privy to their ongoing negotiations and business decisions, and there may be instances when a pre-school ceases operations within short notice despite ECDA’s tracking,” it said.
In July 2024, ECDA barred pre-school operator Metis Little Campus from applying for new centre licences, after it gave parents a day’s notice before closing its centre in Tampines.
