IPOH - Nursery operators are urged to not simply hire anyone as teachers and nannies.
Early childhood education activist Tina Tajuddin said that strict criteria needs to be implemented when hiring teachers or nannies, so that individuals who are given the position are legitimately qualified to carry out the responsibilities.
"Kindergarten and nursery are places that should provide a safe and quality environment for children's development.
"Parents who entrust their children to the care of a kindergarten and nursery have the right to know that their children are in safe hands and cared for wholeheartedly by qualified teachers," she said in a press conference on Saturday.
She said that in most abuse and neglect cases in nurseries and kindergartens, the root cause is individuals who become teachers and nanny without accreditation.
She said such circumstances would cause these individuals to have no soul as caregivers and perform their duties in a forced manner leading to such undesired events.
"The abundant early childhood education programmes would not help if they are only made for profit.
"The time has come for those who want to enter this field to get the right guidance before doing so," she said.
The Ibu Tina daycare founder said that abuse cases such as the latest in Meru Perdana 2 last week had tarnished the profession and sparked a negative perception towards those who genuinely do their job at a highly commandable standard.
"This incident reminds us all of how important it is to find kindergartens and nurseries that have qualified teachers who are dedicated to protecting children," she said.