Children are not the only ones missing out at a well-known school in Suzhou; many of their parents have also found themselves out of pocket, to the tune of five figures in many cases. Meanwhile, teachers at the school have realised they are missing their salaries.
Today, the doors the Suzhou Montessori International Children’s Home on the City’s Fangzhou Lu remain locked. Over 100 youngsters are enrolled in early-learning classes at the school, for which their parents have in many cases paid as much as ¥50,000.
One parent purchased more than ¥40,000 worth of courses, but found the school closed before their child had attended a single one.
The situation hit the headlines after some of the disgruntled parents took a consumer-complaint platform run by media outlet, The Paper. That publication found that during the “6.18” shopping festival, the school was aggressively offering preferential policies.
But after parents were all signed up and had paid their class fees, they lost contact with the early-education provider. They described it as being as if they had just run away.
A teacher with the school told The Paper that there was no warning before the institution closed and that teachers were in arrears of 1 and a half month’s wages. The rent for the building has also gone unpaid.
During this time, parents also learned that the school’s controlling shareholder, surnamed Huang, had gone on to open an art-education provider upstairs from where the Montessori institution is located. But when parents marched upstairs to defend their rights, Huang said that he no longer had a share in the school. Out of sympathy, Huang offered parents credit for art classes. While some accepted, others continued to demand a refund.
Back on the consumer-complaint platform, one parent said, ”We are a dual-career family; both parents have jobs. Originally, we had no choice but to send our children to nursery school. Now that the institution has up and left, there is no place to send our children. It is difficult for us as parents in every way”.
The Montessori method of education, pioneered over a century ago by the physician and educator, Dr. Maria Montessori, has been well regarded in China for decades. But not being a registered brand has also meant schools using the name have popped up in a somewhat haphazard fashion, with many operating questionable practices.
