SINGAPORE: My First Skool has apologised after a Kindergarten 2 student with autism went missing from the pre-school he attends in Serangoon North on Tuesday (Oct 24), only to be found more than 12km away at Yishun MRT station.

The pre-school is located at Blk 140 Serangoon North Ave 2.



Ms Justina Ong, the mother of the seven-year-old boy, told Channel NewsAsia that she received a call from the pre-school at 10.48am, informing her that her son had gone missing after a gardening activity.

Ms Ong said the school informed her that a teacher had taken seven children outdoors at 10.15am. When they returned to class 15 minutes later, the teacher realised that Ms Ong’s son was missing.

“When I received the call, I went crazy. I thought I would never get to see my son any more,” said Ms Ong.

But five minutes after the school called her, Ms Ong received another call - from an employee at Yishun MRT station, saying that her son was there.



“I rushed to Yishun and it was really my son,” Ms Ong said.

She said that, due to her son's autism, he was unable to explain in detail how he ended up at Yishun station. However, he did say that he took a bus from the pre-school to Ang Mo Kio station, where he proceeded to take the train to Yishun.

“His child bus card is with me. I also do not know how he managed to take the bus and MRT,” said Ms Ong.

“But according to the Yishun MRT staff, he was found by an auntie in the MRT. My son told her that he wanted to go to Yishun and the auntie helped him alight and brought him to the staff. The staff then got our phone number from my son,” said Ms Ong.

She added that Ang Mo Kio MRT station staff also confirmed that he boarded the train there.

“We apologise unreservedly for this incident which has caused great stress and worry to the family of a child under our care,” said Mrs Adeline Tan, general manager of My First Skool, on Wednesday.

“The boy has been with us since he was a toddler and our teachers have always conscientiously looked out for him.”

She added that the teachers at the centre “did their best to search for the child” in the vicinity of the school, before the teacher in charge of the gardening activity contacted Ms Ong.

“The teacher-in-charge is deeply apologetic and badly shaken by this incident. She is being counselled and understands that appropriate disciplinary action will have to be taken. We are doing our utmost to engage with the parent on this incident,” Mrs Tan said.

Ms Ong has filed a complaint with the Early Childhood and Development Agency, and the case is under investigation.

Her son did not attend pre-school today, Ms Ong said, adding that she will be withdrawing him from My First Skool.