Parents of children at an Australian daycare center in the city of Brisbane received a remarkable proposal this week: whether they wanted to pay 2,200 Australian dollars (converted more than 1,200 euros) for the drawings that their own children had made.
The ‘artworks’ vary from colorful spots to loose blobs. “I have never seen a Picasso coming home, that’s for sure. But it does mean something to you,” the Prime Minister of Staat State of Queensland, David Crisafulli, told local media, Writes BBC.
The daycare center became the subject of a riot in which the national media also stirred. Last month the daycare closed its doors after the financing was stopped by the umbrella organization of childcare. For example, there would be an investigation into administrative practices. Several board members have already resigned last month, one of which was left: Thomas D’Souza. He would then have fired all his staff to replace them with temporary substitutes.
Financial problems
The parents filed a complaint since D’Souza was the only member in the board – something that he himself denies. The National Childcare Organization of the State, to which the childcare is affiliated, decided to suspend the financing last month. Authorities opened an investigation into childcare.
On Sunday evening, the parents of children on childcare received an e-mail from the board, which wanted to create clarity because of the “chaotic” weeks behind them. It made it clear that the stay could not pay his debts and was voluntarily put under guardianship.
A second e-mail followed a few hours later. This announced the plan to sell “art portfolios” of the children for thousands of dollars each. The idea was that the income from the sale of the artworks, around 40,000 dollars, will then be paid to the employees.
One of the parents told her story in the Australian news program A Current Affair From the Nine News channel. She decided to just take her child’s artworks without paying. The daycare center then decided to give her to the police.
There is also an investigation at the police about an alleged burglary around midnight in the daycare center, from two weeks ago. It is unclear whether this is about the same incident, reports The BBC.
‘On-Australian’
The childcare proposal resulted in indignant reactions by the country. The prime minister of the state of Queensland Crisafelli spoke of “emotional blackmail” and “on-Australian”.
The Australian Ministry of Education said that the parents are entitled to the work of their children. The drawings can now be picked up from the daycare center and be transferred to the parents for free, reports the umbrella childcare organization.
“Just give the children back their finger paintings, and let’s continue to live,” says Crisafulli.
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