A 4-year-old girl in Dajia, Taichung suffered a finger injury requiring four stitches during a roller-skating class at her kindergarten, sparking outrage from her mother over the school’s handling of the incident. The controversy intensified after it was revealed that the roller-skating lesson was conducted in a swimming pool due to rain on October 28, raising questions about safety and supervision.
The girl’s mother criticized the kindergarten for giving conflicting explanations about how her daughter was hurt—first claiming she was cut by the pool tiles, then that she was stepped on by a classmate, and at another point that it happened while dismantling equipment. She expressed frustration that the school initially considered the injury minor, didn’t call an ambulance, and even told parents they didn’t need to come to the school.
According to the mother, the incident left her deeply concerned: “My daughter suffered a laceration requiring four stitches, yet the principal kept downplaying it. The school’s explanations kept changing—from the tiles, to a shoe, to equipment. Were they trying to hide something?”
The kindergarten’s principal defended the school, stating that they monitored the girl’s recovery, consulted medical staff, and felt the injury could be handled without an ambulance. The school also explained that one surveillance camera had a malfunctioning memory card, limiting video evidence, but promised to take responsibility and visited the girl at home four days later, offering NT$36,000 in compensation.
Despite these efforts, the mother remains unsatisfied, citing inconsistencies and a lack of transparency, while the local Education Bureau has dispatched personnel to investigate the incident. Officials emphasized the importance of clarifying what happened, though the girl may carry the emotional impact of the injury for some time.
