Parents are upset after hearing news that Hallam Gardens three-year-old kindergarten will fold at the end of this year. Parent Sharon Akram with sons Zaki and Imran.By Rebecca Fraser
A KINDERGARTEN in Hallam has been forced to fold amid angry parent claims that there is not enough government support for three-year-old services.
The Hallam Gardens three-year-old kindergarten will wind up in the next couple of weeks after buckling under financial pressure.
A parent and volunteer committee of management operated the kinder and the financially crippled service has run at a deficit for at least the past four years.
Distraught parents have become emotional over the closure after “busting their boiler” to try and bring the service back into the black with countless fundraising drives that raised about $18,000 this year.
But sadness has quickly turned to anger with many parents and committee members saying that it should not be left up to untrained parents and volunteers to operate three-year-old kindergartens, balance books and pay wages.
One teacher at the centre has now been left without 11 years of long service leave entitlements because of the lack of money. Because the kindergarten employs fewer than 15 people both three-year-old kinder teachers are also not entitled to termination pay-outs.
Three-year-old kinder has not been made mandatory by either the Federal or State Government and therefore does not attract financial or operational support at any government level. They also have no responsibility for the services.
Mother-of-two Karen Attrill said it should not be left up to parents with no experience in accounts to run three-year-old kindergartens.
“We should be responsible for fundraising and offering support but not have people’s livelihoods in our hands,” she said.
Another parent, Nicole Owen, said she had also been saddened by the situation and was upset that two of her three children would not be able to go to the three-year-old kindergarten.
“They (the teachers) have looked after our children and done a sensational job and we have to tell them they no longer have a job or any long service leave.
“It breaks my heart that this has happened to two wonderful teachers,” she said.
Another mother, Tamara Norton of Narre Warren, said the City of Casey was pushing people to defer sending their children to four-year-old kindergarten but there were no three-year-old places for them.
Her daughter turns four next March, just before the kindergarten cut-off date, and Ms Norton said she would now be forced to send her to the four-year-old group.
“There are waiting lists everywhere and they (Casey) push and encourage you to defer but they do not provide other options and alternatives,” she said.
Parent Sharon Akram said she was heartbroken on Monday when she found out the kinder was closing and angry that she was not told about the desperate financial situation earlier by the committee.
“I cried when I heard as the teachers have been so understanding and helpful to the children.
“They themselves have been left in the dark about whether they have jobs or not,” she said.
But other parents said people were notified of the situation and the imminent closure in a letter sent home with a recent chocolate drive and the committee had tried all avenues to save the service.
Casey Family and Children’s Services manager Russell Hopkins said council officers had tried to offer support and advice to the committee in the past few months when their financial situation was known.
He said because three-year-old kinder was not mandatory they had a limited capacity to help.
But Mr Hopkins said council may buy some of the equipment for the new Lynbrook pre-school which is set to open next year.
The committee said selling the assets would pay wages until the end of the year and part of the long-service leave.
