Brookhouse faults parents’ case

Brookhouse International School has described the legal battle with some of its parents over online classes as a contractual dispute, which has been disguised as a violation of constitutional rights.

Managing director and board member John O’Connor said the parents who dragged the school to court intended to disrupt virtual classes.

In a filed response to the case, Mr O’Connor says the suit is an abuse of the court process and that the views of the parents do not represent those of the majority.

“The false assertion that the petitioners represent parents at the school is discredited by the numerous messages of support the institution continues to receive from parents daily regarding its virtual learning programme,” Mr O’Connor said.

He added: “We genuinely believe that the petitioners are a small number of parents whose sole intention is to disrupt the current school calendar to the detriment of a large number of children who are happy to continue with virtual learning.”

The institution told the court that it embarked on online learning as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and that the same has been successfully piloted across its other institutions across the world.

The school said suspension of the online classes would ultimately interfere with their international curriculum as well as drastically affect how the students will be graded considering that their counterparts are continuing with the programme.

While welcoming the court’s decision to set aside the order that had suspended online classes for kindergarten to year four, the school said the directive was proper for all children who are part of the institution.

In a letter to parents, the board of directors said  teachers are keen to work with students and that the school’s key goal has always been that no child is left behind in the learning process.

“The most immediate concern for the school is our desire to see the court reinstate live virtual learning for our younger students in year four and below, this has been achieved and lessons recommenced on Thursday, May 14 as per the normal timetable,” said Mr Rabih Saab, a director.

Considering the fact that the court had asked the school to reduce the fees by 50 per cent, the school has asked the parents to clear that amount by Monday, May 18, regardless of whether the opportunity for live virtual learning is accessed by parents.