Photo/Illutration The Komorebi nursery school in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, admitted to the inappropriate treatment of children. (Jun Takahashi)

MATSUDO, Chiba Prefecture--Teachers at a small local nursery school here had abused young children in their care, hitting one on the head and leaving another alone in the restroom, the city has revealed.

Municipal officials said on Dec. 19 the city has issued administrative guidance to Komorebi nursery for the inappropriate treatment of six children who are only 1 or 2 years old.

Officials said the nursery has admitted to the mistreatment.

The abuse was carried out by three teachers, all women between the ages of 30 and 44, who had worked as nursery school teachers from two to eight years, according to the Matsudo city government.

In early October, one of them struck the head of a 1-year-old boy who was dozing off during lunchtime. Another moved him out of the way with her feet during nap time, the municipality said.

They also left a 2-year-old girl in the bathroom alone for about four or five minutes, it said.

The children were not injured.

When the nursery interviewed the three teachers, two admitted to the inappropriate treatment of children.

One of them told the city she did not hit the boy on the head, but rather “pushed the boy because I wanted him to stay awake a little longer (during lunchtime).”

The other said, “I let him know with my feet that he was sticking out from the futon (bedding).”

A retired teacher had reported maltreatment of children at the school in September and the city conducted an on-site investigation in October.

But evidence that the children were being manhandled only came to light when the nursery submitted its security camera footage to the city.

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