Controversy Arises over Halting Classes at Novara, Sulas School Due to Student Petition
The Comune di Novara has announced a change in its plans for the expansion of the Sulas Kindergarten in Sant'Agabio, following concerns about the substantial financial cost associated with the project. Instead, the administration is focusing on optimizing capacity in existing kindergartens and exploring other avenues to increase access to early childhood education without undertaking the costly expansion of the Sulas facility.
The initial request for an expansion, made by the director of the Bellini comprehensive institute and unanimously approved by the Institute Council on 26th June, had proposed the construction of two new classrooms and common spaces at a cost of 1.7 million euros. The expansion was intended to accommodate the 46 children currently on the waiting list due to the kindergarten's current capacity only catering to children aged 5 and 4, with almost all of those aged 3 being left out.
However, the decision to expand has been reversed. The municipality, which supported the request, has now decided to prioritize alternative solutions to accommodate the waiting children, citing the need for financial prudence. The U-turn in decision, with vague motivations, is detailed in a council deliberation that corrects previous forecasts for the school network.
The works for the expansion, which were completed in recent weeks as part of the Pnrr project, will not be used at this time. The councilor for education, Giulia Negri, stated that the second additional section would arrive the following year, but this is no longer necessary as the active sections now meet the enrollment requests and match the available spaces.
The group leader, Nicola Fonzo, expressed concerns about the decision, questioning why money was spent on building more classrooms if they would not be used. However, the intervention was initiated by the director Riccardo Marola, who emphasized the importance of the kindergarten service for full social inclusion.
Despite the reversal of the expansion plan, the Comune di Novara remains committed to ensuring that the children on the waiting list can still be enrolled. The administration is currently working on optimizing capacity in existing kindergartens and exploring other avenues to increase access to early childhood education without the need for a costly expansion. The Sulas Kindergarten, located in via Pianca, Sant'Agabio, will continue to play a crucial role in providing early education to the children of the community. A correction of the previous deliberation and its implementation by a decree of 29th July is necessary due to the new decision.
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