Bogus learning centre scams parents

Building Blocks Academy, a homeschooling learning centre in Selcourt, has been accused of not registering learners with the curriculum provider and of distributing fraudulent report cards.

Parents claim they found out their children were not registered with Hyperion, a distance learning curriculum provider.

“I registered my child with Building Blocks Academy, owned by Sadiqa Carelse, to do Grade Eight this year.

“I chose the Hyperion learning module and paid the R4 000 deposit and a monthly fee of R600,” one of the parents, Sanisha Naicker, said.

“Two weeks before the school term could come to an end, in the middle of examinations, I received a call from another parent saying that our children have not been registered with the curriculum provider.”

Naicker said she called an employee at Hyperion who confirmed that her daughter was not registered and the report card she received for term one was not produced by Hyperion.

Another parent Theresa McDonald said she also called the curriculum provider and was told that her child was not registered and that the report card she received was forged.

“When I called Sadiqa that day, she told me it was a misunderstanding and that they were sorting it out. She then sent me a letter from an attorney,” Naicker said.

In the letter, Carelse’s attorney details that all outstanding issues are being resolved with Hyperion and that the academy will function as normal.

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The Springs Advertiser has a report card and invoice from the homeschooling centre. The report card’s letterhead shows Hyperion Distance Learning’s name and logo.

The invoice shows the R4 000 registration fee as well as the R600 monthly payments made by Naicker to Hyperion.

Roana Pillay, another parent, revealed that she paid over R25 000 in fees. She has since registered her child at a different school. Pillay claimed that some parents received a letter with a different letterhead notifying them that classes would resume on July 10.

The parents revealed that this issue has not only affected them financially but their children as well as they thought they were receiving an accredited education.

“My daughter has possibly lost a year of her life and I have suffered substantial financial loss,” Naicker said.

Hyperion’s director Naeem Mohammed said they have no relationship with Building Blocks Academy.

“We do not work with tutor centres or homeschooling learning centres. Those are illegal entities. The owner of the school was fraudulently using our name to charge parents. We have no record of those learners on our system,” Mohammed revealed.

He added that he sent Carelse a cease-and-desist letter requesting that she stop using Hyperion’s name.

“We have received multiple calls from parents. We are trying our best to deal with this matter,” he said.

Springs police spokesperson Sergeant Themba Tshabalala confirmed that Carelse was arrested two weeks ago and was released on bail.

“The investigation is ongoing,” Tshabalala said.

The Gauteng Department of Education confirmed that the academy is illegal.

“Building Blocks Academy is not on the database of registered independent schools and, therefore, it is operating illegally.

“Consequently, officials were dispatched to the said school to conduct the necessary investigation and the outcome will be communicated in due course,” said the department’s spokesperson, Steve Mabona.

Mabona outlined the procedure that private schools must undergo before they are allowed to operate.

This includes applying to the Provincial Department of Education, Independent Schools Directorate.

This entails applying a year before operating and complying with all registration requirements and documents such as zoning certificates, health certificates and others.

“After thorough assessments, the department issues a certificate that entails the name of the school, address and an EMIS number.

“If a school does not have an EMIS certificate which corresponds with the address where a school is situated, then parents must know that it is an illegally operating school.

“Parents and community members are advised to demand EMIS letters when they are seeking admission in these schools to ascertain that these are legitimate schools,” Mabona said.

Attempts by the Springs Advertiser to contact Carelse yielded no response. Her attorney Robert Sousa said Carelse will not comment on the matter as the case is ongoing.