MILAN, Italy, June 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lack of soap in the toilets, cold school dinners, frozen food, not fresh. Uniforms paid for, but never arrived. These were the accusations that, in November 2019, brought the officially recognized bilingual school of St. Louis, considered the institute of Milan's 'VIPs' to the headlines of the Milanese newspapers. LaPresse listens to and highlights parents' complaints about a situation that did not live up to the proposed offer, especially at the Colonna site. A story that ended with the admission of a certain level of disservice by the school, with uniforms that never arrived and with a return to the status quo.
Now, seven months later, and in the aftermath of a pandemic that has torn the country and families apart, a new chapter has been added to the saga: 'online' teaching that was inappropriate for young students during the first weeks of lockdown.
The children, it is claimed, are always at the centre: for their education and preparation parents are willing to pay very high fees in order to ensure a certain kind of educational standard. However, at the same time, those same parents expect - and demand - a delivery of education appropriate to the prestigious name of the school. Even during the time of coronavirus. As occurred throughout Italy with the explosion of the health crisis, the students of St. Louis, which welcomes children from the age of 2 to 18 years, have also been at home since 24 February. Since then, it has been a succession of distance learning, improvised teachers and remote lessons in front of the computer without the face-to-face support of a teacher. This is a common problem throughout the world battling against Covid-19. However, families expected much more from those who have a record of being the only international school in Milan, with excellent teaching staff in both English and Italian.
For this reason, around thirty parents have decided to demand a refund for the March tuition fees already paid, whilst appreciating the efforts made by the school to mitigate the inconvenience for students. Or, at least, that the amounts already paid be offset against next year's fees (the first instalment of which expires on 15 June). They were confronted, however, with a clear rejection.
"Parents do not believe it is fair to charge a substantially comprehensive price for a service which, albeit for exceptional reasons that cannot be attributed to the School, was certainly not comprehensive," lawyer Raffaele Cavani, who represents some of the School's student families. In fact, families have been asking for a long time to have a discussion, a negotiating table with the school, to discuss the problem, also in view of the next school year. After only one exchange opportunity, families are now complaining about the school's full closure.
for information: Barbara Sanicola – barbara.sanicola@lapresse.it T +39 02 26305578 M +39 333 3905243