Childhood centre in the clear
A Palmerston North early childhood centre that was under investigation over how it spent public money meant to support Pacific children’s learning has been cleared of wrongdoing.
Ministry of Education officials looked at how Malamalama Moni A’oga Amata EFKS was using ‘‘Pasifika Power Up Plus’’ funding after allegations it wasn’t being spent appropriately.
Between July 2016 and June this year, the centre received $131,560 in Power Up money, which supports Pacific parents, families and communities ‘‘to champion’’ children’s learning.
Yesterday, the ministry confirmed its investigation had finished and Malamalama Moni A’oga was in the clear.
‘‘The ministry has completed its inquiries into the concerns raised, which included taking advice from our internal audit function,’’ said ministry deputy secretary for parent information and community intelligence Apryll Parata.
‘‘As a result of those inquiries, the ministry is satisfied that the provider has delivered the services we expected, to the required standard and has received the payment for delivery of those services.’’
From 2016 to this year, under the Power Up scheme, Malamalama Moni A’oga ‘‘has delivered workshops by trained teachers to students, their parents and adult family members to build the skills and knowledge they require to support the educational aspirations of their children’’, Parata said.
The centre, on Havelock Ave, Highbury, is connected with the Congregational Church of Samoa, which goes by the acronym EFKS.
The ministry makes Power Up payments to organisations on the ‘‘completion of milestone deliverables detailed in the contract’’.
Malamalama Moni A’oga’s latest Education Review Office report says it caters for up to 40 children aged 2 and above in three ‘‘age-group rooms’’.
The 2016 report says the centre is ‘‘well placed’’ to ‘‘promote positive learning outcomes for children’’.