A Rotorua teacher has been censured by the Teaching Council after a two-year-old child was left locked in a "stifling hot" daycare centre.
On March 21, 2017, Mary Aiavao, head teacher at Rotorua's E-Babies Early Learning Centre, locked up the centre at 3:30pm and left the premises, unknowingly leaving a two-year-old child inside, according to an "Agreed Statement" released by the Teaching Council.
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Aiavao, the last member of staff left at the centre on that day, hadn't checked the centre's rooms were empty before she left. She later said she had been distracted by another child arriving to collect a stroller.
Shortly after 3:30pm, the child's mother arrived for pick up, but couldn't get into the locked centre. She tried the centre's phone to no avail, before ringing a member of staff who said when they left, the child had been asleep inside.
After looking through a window, the mother saw the child asleep and was able to get into the centre with the assistance of a member of staff from a primary school the centres shares grounds with.
While the mother said the child was not harmed, the room was described as "stifling hot" in the statement.
Aiavao submitted her resignation the next day, while a complaint was also received by the centre from the child's parents. Aiavao wrote an apology letter to the parents.
In a written statement to the Education Council, Aiavao said felt "disappointed and ashamed that I did not do my last check on the day more thoroughly". But she also said the teacher that had put the child to sleep should have woken him up before leaving.
"Forgiving myself has been the hardest part of this journey, as I am still reliving this situation over and over again," she wrote.
"I know that this doesn’t absolve me or make it ok… The situation continually plays on my mind and makes me review and reflect on my practices consistently to ensure that a repeat will never happen again."
Aiavao was censured by the Teaching Council Disciplinary Tribunal for serious misconduct and must show the tribunal decision to employers for the next 18 months. She must also pay some of the tribunal's costs.
"We have no doubt that this was a horrifying experience for all concerned, especially [the child], but also accept that [Aiavao] immediately reacted and did her best to hold herself accountable."
Newshub.
