L.Š., a kindergarten teacher at the “Đurđevdan” preschool institution in Kragujevac, has been suspended from work after leaving children unsupervised, and the competent institutions have been informed about the case, reported the Ucentar portal today.
On Friday, two preschoolers in the Ilićevo neighborhood of Kragujevac decided to climb out a window and go home by themselves, because they were afraid of being trapped in the school, reported the Glas Šumadije portal today.
“Around 4:15 PM, my child came home alone in slippers. I was astonished when I saw the child had come home alone, as I usually pick up my child at 5 PM. When I asked the child what happened, he told me they were locked in the school and no one was there. They were scared. Then I took my phone and called L.Š. (the teacher) and asked her what she was doing. She told me she was playing with the children. She even asked if I needed to pick up the child earlier, and I told her there was no need because the child had already come home alone. However, she replied that it was impossible,” recounted Vladan Dimitrijević, the father of one child.
After that conversation, the parent went to the school, where he emphasizes that the teacher begged him not to tell anyone about what had happened.
“She told me she had left the children and that she could do whatever I needed just so this wouldn’t get out, so she wouldn’t lose her job,” says Dimitrijević.
Five children attend this group, but only two of them were present that day.
The children headed towards the main road in Ilićevo, where they went to the local community center, then to the park to play, and after that, the girl walked her friend to the street, and they parted ways there.
The distance from the school to the boy’s house is about two kilometers.
The girl wanted to return to her house, but the path to her house required her to go back the way that led to the school.
They say that the child met the teacher, who told her it was best not to tell anyone about this, so that the parents wouldn’t worry.
The girl’s mother, Sanja Đorđević, says her daughter told her they were scared and looked for a way to get out of the classroom.
“When they saw she wasn’t there, that she had left them, they looked for the teacher but couldn’t find her. And she says they got scared because she wasn’t there, they thought she had gone home and that they should go home too. And then they went out the window,” says the girl’s mother, Sanja Đorđević.
Throughout the year, the children had told their parents that the teacher would go somewhere, but the parents thought it was impossible for her to leave the school premises, assuming she was somewhere within the school and would return soon.
Concerned parents believe the children were alone for a long time if such an idea came to their minds. The children told them they saw a car leaving through the window, but the teacher did not tell them the reason for leaving, nor that she was going anywhere at all.
Parents say that many children have been withdrawn from the preschool because of this teacher and that they are afraid for their children. Even the children say they no longer want to go to preschool.
The teacher L.Š. is a councilor for the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in the Kragujevac city assembly.
DIRECTOR: We Have Taken All Measures Within Our Competence
The director of PU “Đurđevdan” states that immediately upon receiving information from the parents, they began the process of establishing the facts and took all measures within the institution’s competence.
“As an institution, we have responsibly approached resolving the situation that occurred, in accordance with the law and regulations governing this matter. The ‘Đurđevdan’ Preschool Institution is a responsible institution, whose primary goal is the safety of children and respect for every child’s rights. I express regret for the incident that occurred, as our employees act very professionally in the implementation of preschool education, and this is an isolated situation,” the director stated in the announcement.
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Source: Danas / N1, Photo: Printscreen Youtube / RTV Kragujevac