Former childcare teacher recounts miserable working experience

By Razinah

I am an ex staff from a well known childcare. I would like to share my 5 years of experience in that industry as a teacher. I also worked in another childcare centre for 1 year. I really feel that nowdays some principal's/supervisors are really sadists no thanks to their largely lacking PR skills.


We are entitled to annual leave days, however when we wish to apply for them, we will have to beg the principals or even then they would ask too many personal questions almost to the extent of making us cry and beg. Or worst, wait till the very last minute before approving the AL, thus unnecessarily placing us under extreme mental anguish in anticipation of the application outcome. Some teachers are even too scared to apply for AL or MC because of their principals. We need a break too, we want to go holidays once in a while too.


And when we take medical leave we are being judged for that and sometimes we are even accused of lying. Are we not human beings? Don't we have families? Why are we being treated in such a way? When you attempt to argue you are simply black-listed and from thereafter they strive to make your life extra miserable.


We are typically not permitted to travel outside during lunch hours despite putting in requests in advance, in the end we have to be subjected to their questions including like, why, where and for what purpose. We sometimes have to work on Saturdays, get paid lesser and treated horribly. It's more like a jail rather than a work place. Some principals are also fond of interfering with the staffs' personal lives. What gives them the right to do so when they are not angels themselves?


They don't follow rules; when we tell our higher management nothing happens as they simply turn a blind eye to these complaints. When we are being reprimanded, it is being done in front of other staff. I pretty much would like to warn anyone who is contemplating joining this industry to read and thoroughly learn from my experience: think TWICE real hard before joining if you don't want to be treated like a slave due to workplace politics and heavy favoritism.


It is very unfair being treated like this and there's no LAW to protect us. It's like we are trapped there just because of our rice bowls.


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