A 57-year-old Singaporean woman of Indian origin was sentenced to four days’ imprisonment after she admitted in court to ill-treating a four-year-old pupil under her care at a pre-school. The incident, which took place in April 2024, involved the former teacher kicking the child on the shin, resulting in a visible bruise and distress to the young girl.
The teacher, Alamelu Paramaguru, had been supervising a group of about 15 children when the offence occurred. At around noon on 2 April, while preparing the classroom for nap time and moving a sleeping cot, she believed that a pupil who was seated on the floor had nearly caused her to trip.
Although there was no actual fall, Alamelu reacted by forcefully kicking the child on the right shin and scolding her to sit properly. The incident was captured on closed-circuit television installed in the classroom.
Later that day, when the child’s mother came to the school at about 5.40 pm, her daughter complained about the incident. The mother also noticed a bruise on the girl’s leg.
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As Alamelu had already left the premises, the matter was brought to the attention of her colleagues, and the school principal was informed. That same evening, the child’s mother lodged a police report and took the child to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where she was examined and given two days’ medical leave.
During the investigations, Alamelu initially denied remembering the incident and suggested her foot might have “unconsciously” come into contact with the child’s leg. However, CCTV footage confirmed that she had kicked the pupil, leading to criminal charges being filed against her.
In July 2025, she pleaded guilty to the charge of ill-treatment of a child under her care. The sentencing took place on August 19 at the State Courts.
While deciding the sentence, District Judge Koo Zhi Xuan observed that Alamelu had not come clean about her actions initially and noted that she was in a position of responsibility, not a stranger to the victim. The court also took into account that the teacher scolded the child even after inflicting pain.
At the same time, the judge acknowledged that Alamelu was operating in a high-stress environment and was not going through an easy period at the time of the incident.
Her defence counsel, Jonathan Wong, informed the court that she had dedicated around 30 years to childcare and was blind in one eye. He requested the court to consider a fine, but said his client was ready to accept the punishment imposed.
Following the sentencing, it was confirmed that Alamelu is no longer working as a pre-school teacher.
