Lentera International School closed

Lentera International School closed

JAKARTA (JP): The Lentera International School in Cibubur, a Jakarta suburb, was closed last week, said chairman of the school board Keith Cameron.

"The coup de grace was delivered Feb. 2," said Cameron in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post.

According to Cameron, problems with the school's administration and business affairs began at the end of 1994.

A change in school principles and a loss of more than 20 students, 50 teachers and support staff forced the closure, added several sources who asked not to be identified.

Reports of corruption and managerial problems were also cited as reasons, a former teacher at the school told the Post over the weekend.

"The school owes money all over the place -- to teachers and staff members, even school bus payments," said the former teacher.

Neither Cameron nor Tony Holligan, the school's latest principal, were available for comment.

Lentera was founded four years ago primarily for English- speaking students with learning disabilities.

Last October, teachers and staff members asked the Parents and Teachers Association to help find a solution, said one parent.

The school's allegedly bankrupt state has caused many parents, mostly expatriates, to feel restless and unsure of where to send their kids, sources said.

"It appears that there's no personal accountability nor responsibility. It seems odd to me that some people have the guts to claim personal assets when others lost theirs," lamented a parent.

"There does not seem to be any recourse for us." (14)