ILLEGAL SCHOOL? Parents of schoolchildren, including a French national, seek the help of the National Bureau of Investigation in Dumaguete City on Tuesday (July 9, 2019) after learning that the Arjune Learning Center where their children were enrolled in the past school year did not have the necessary permits to operate. The complainants said the names of their children could not be found in the Department of Education's Learner Information System. (Photo by Juancho Gallarde)
DUMAGUETE CITY - A French national and several other individuals are pursuing complaints of estafa against a local kindergarten and elementary school here for allegedly operating without the necessary permits.
The complainants sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) here earlier this week against the Arjune Learning Center (ALC) located in Barangay Pulantubig and owned and operated by Victoria Aro Sadia, the school directress.
The French national who requested not to be identified had his three children enrolled in the ALC for school year 2018-2019.
The foreigner said that when he decided to transfer and enroll his kids to a science school last June, he was informed that their names could not be found in the Department of Education (DepEd) Learner Information System (LIS).
He was told that ALC is not registered so the names of his children were not in the registry, and therefore, the previous school year attended by his children is invalid.
DepEd Dumaguete City Division Superintendent, Evangel Luminarias, issued a certification dated June 6, 2019, that based on their records, Arjune Learning Center in Pulantubig was issued a temporary permit for kindergarten effective School Year 2019-2020 yet, stating in effect that its operation for the school year 2018-2019 is not recognized.
The parent-complainants cried foul over the one-year wasted time as well as the money they paid as tuition.
At first, the parents merely wanted a refund of their payment, but to no avail, so they resorted to legal action through the help of the NBI-Dumaguete.
NBI-Dumaguete Special Agent Ma. Contessa Lastimoso said she was informed that the parents were told they could have their children enrolled in the next level after passing the Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) and Equivalency Program, which they already took last June.
The parents wanted to know, however, what they would do in case their children fail to pass the test.
But Lastimoso said in her assessment, this is a simple case of estafa involving a small amount of money, of which NBI has no jurisdiction.
However, as part of public service, she suggested filing a complaint before the court of small claims, and told the parents that they have options to pursue claims for moral damages, in which case they will have to go through the rigors of court proceedings.
In the meantime, the DepEd is enjoined to check on the integrity of residential buildings being converted into classrooms including facilities like in the case of the Arjune Learning Center.
Parents disclosed that kindergarten pupils are holding classes in the living room, while Grade 1 to Grade 3 pupils are placed in one classroom, and Grade 4 to Grade 6 pupils in another.
They said, however, that the school has good teachers, with the directress herself being a teacher.
Tuition at ALC is at PHP17,000 for the whole year for kindergarten, and around PHP20,000 for the elementary level, including textbooks.
ALC has branches in Tanjay City, Sibulan and Siaton, all in Negros Oriental. (PNA)
