Lale School operation period extended until the end of the year

The Ministry of Education has extended the period allowed for Biz Atolls Maldives to operate Lale Youth International School in Hulhumale’, until the end of 2013.

Managing Director of Biz Atolls Maldives Abdullah Jameel told Sun Online that the ministry handed over the operation of Lale School to the company for a period of five years.

“The agreement between us and the Ministry of Education expired on 25 May. According to that agreement, we were commissioned to operate Lale School for five years. However, the ministry has extended the operation period until the end of the school year this year,” he said.

Jameel said that the company requested the government during former President Mohamed Nasheed’s presidency, for permission to operate a boarding school and a plot of land for this purpose in Hulhumale’.

He said that the building in which Lale School is currently operated was given with the promise of providing land for a boarding school later.

Jameel said that the building was empty when it was given to Biz Atolls Maldives, and that it was Biz Atolls Maldives that transformed the building into a school. He said that Biz Atolls Maldives had not earned any profit from running the school over the past five years.

Deputy Principal of Lale School Mahdhee Shahid said that parents had voiced concerns regarding the expiry of the contract for Biz Atolls Maldives to operate the school.

He said that parents were worried about the school’s management changing, as it might result in changes in the school’s curriculum and teaching policies. He said that there are no problems between the school’s management and parents.