Teacher sues MOE for negligence
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THE day a teacher was locked in Zhangde Primary School, an attendant was on duty to make sure no one was left behind. However, Ms Siew Moi told the High Court that she does not check the classrooms before locking up. Speaking in Mandarin, she said: 'The school is very big. It would take too long.'
Teacher Sivakami Sivanantham, 39, who was trapped in the building on Feb 11, 2006, fractured her ankle trying to climb out of it, is now suing the Ministry of Education (MOE) for negligence for 'not ensuring a safe work environment'.
Madam Siew said she had checked the teachers' staff room. Finding it vacant, she locked it and pulled down its shutters at 12.45pm. She then locked up the general office and the shutters of the stairs nearest it. Those were the only ones that were open on Saturdays, she said.
Principal Jaswant Kaur had told the High Court on Tuesday that school attendants are required to check the classrooms before locking up.
On Thursday, operations manager Choo Kwok Seng took the stand to say that the school would be locked at 12.30pm on Saturdays unless he was told that a teacher would be working late.
Cross-examined by Ms Sivakami's lawyer Kamala Dewi, Madam Siew said that she does not inform Mr Choo before she locks up the school.
In her testimony on Monday, Ms Sivakami said that she arrived at the school at 9am on that fateful day. She left her handbag and mobile phone in the teachers' room on the second floor to go to her classroom. At about 1pm, she found herself locked out of the staff room. The roller shutters to the ground floor exit was also locked. In her desperation, she climbed through the ventilation gap to get out and fell some 4m and fractured her ankle. Complications necessitated seven operations and she was on medical leave for more than a year.
The hearing has ended and both parties are to tender their submissions to Justice Belinda Ang by Dec 31.
-- ST
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What they must suggest to all schools:
- Do not leave your belongings unattended.
- Teacher who sues MOE will not be allowed in to any school. I want this teacher to be in SMRT.
- Operate this school 24-hours, CCTV surveillance.
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Is Sivakami Sivanantham from India?
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poor cleaner.
teacher leh... for god sakes, phone is fake one??? call someone? for instance, the OM? HELLO??????????????????????
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So what is the outcome now?
Sue MOE? Funny lay.
By right should sue the school right?
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Originally posted by Pitot:
poor cleaner.
teacher leh... for god sakes, phone is fake one??? call someone? for instance, the OM? HELLO??????????????????????
teacher was lock out off the staff room with all her belongings inside. it's in the article. pls read carefully.
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Originally posted by likeyou:
So what is the outcome now?
Sue MOE? Funny lay.
By right should sue the school right?
school is an entitly under MOE. so sue MOE.
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Originally posted by airgrinder:
school is an entitly under MOE. so sue MOE.
So she will sue the moe for medical cost? Compensation? How much she going to sue the moe? -
This is clearly own fault.
Why blame others? =.=
Medical Leave for more than a year still got pay, want make noise?
Oh ya...no student around go classroom 4hrs do what?
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Originally posted by Call4ljw:
Oh ya...no student around go classroom 4hrs do what?
Teachers like to walk around the school compound naked when no students are around.
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Obviously some teachers aren't very bright.
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Originally posted by ditzy:
Obviously some teachers aren't very bright.
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Yeah, lor. This sounds like the teacher's fault. How can someone =panic until like that and the ONLY solution you can think of is to climb our a ventilation gap and JUMP down about 4m??? Wow ...
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Any photos to share?