Kindergarten fights to stay open
By LESLEY SANGA
A KINDERGARTEN with more than 70 students in west Honiara is fighting to stay open following a dispute with a private education authority.
Kids’ Home Kindergarten at Raffle Range has been operating under the Tamlan Education Authority since 2014.
But last Friday, Tamlan Education Authority issued the director of Kids’ Home Kindergarten John Keni a letter, advising him their partnership has been cancelled and that his school is operating illegally.
“We are shocked at Tamlan’s decision,” Mr Keni told the Solomon Star.
In the letter, the Tamlan School Board said:
“It was recently brought to the attention of the Tamlan School Board, that there exists an unconventional arrangement in practice whereby Kids’ Home Kindergarten had for the past few years been riding on the back of Tamlan Early Childhood Education Division in terms of extra enrolment numbers being included under Tamlan Kindergarten enrolment numbers in order to claim a portion of Tamlan ECE’s quarterly school grant issued from the Ministry responsible.”
The letter further stated:
“Even following attempts by director Tamlan Education Authority and the supervisor Tamlan ECE division to discourage and put a stop to this practice, you are understood to have reacted aggressively in insisting to continue with the practice.
“During the Tamlan School Boards recent meeting, the Board viewed this as trying to legitimize such practice through illegal means and therefore held serious reservations with such a practice for the following reasons:
· There was no formal written agreement on record between Tamlan Education Authority and Kid’’ Home Kindergarten to effect this arrangement.
· Kids’ Home Kindy is not part of nor has it ever been an extension of Tamlan ECE Division to warrant this arrangement
· This matter has certain serious legal implication for Tamlan Education Authority in terms of its operations, by significantly inflating its kindergarten enrolment numbers to which it realistically does not have.
· It could be construed by the Ministry of Education that Tamlan Education Authority has been deliberately colluding with Kids Home Kindergarten in order to solicit additional funds by engaging in this illegal practice.”
The Tamlan School Board said it no longer wishes to entertain this illegal practice and advises that it hereby ceases forthwith.
“Your enrolment numbers will no longer be accepted by Tamlan ECE Division to be included as part of its enrolment figures for submission to the Ministry of Education and Human Resources.
“The decision takes immediate effect as of the start of this 2018 academic year.
“In view of this we the authority suggests that you proceed to have your educational establishment formally registered with the ministry.”
But Mr Keni yesterday insisted they are not illegal as they follow the straight procedures to establish Kids Home Kindergarten.
“We sign the contract to go under Tamlan Authority in 2014 and renewed it in 2016,” he said
“Alice Kaua, the owner of the Tamlan School was the one who signed the contract to become Tamlan ECE extension in 2014, 2016 and but now she’s denying it.”
He said that if his school is illegal then the Tamlan education authority should not sent teachers who were paid salary to go and teach at his school.
“According to the teachers hand book, authority will only send teachers who are paid salary to teach in legal school and not illegal schools.
“So in this case, I have teachers who were paid salary coming to teach here and it’s a sign that we are legal.”
He said he’ll be pursuing the matter further with the Tamlan Education Authority.
Kids Home Kindergarten was established in 2006 and started operating under the Tamlan Education Authority in 2014.
Four teachers are currently teaching at the school.
