HEI Schools’ Lara centre in liquidation, new buyer sought
Parents of children enrolled at an early education centre in Geelong’s north say they have been left in the dark after its operator was forced into liquidation – but there could be light at the end of the tunnel.
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The future of a Geelong childcare centre focused on the Finnish curriculum and owned by Hong Kong investors is up in the air after the company behind it was forced into liquidation.
HEI Schools on Buckingham St in Lara continued to operate as normal on Wednesday despite the centre’s manager announcing her imminent resignation to parents who are frustrated by a lack of information.
“It is with great sadness that I need to inform you that this coming Friday will be my last day,” outgoing manager Jenifer Sheehan told parents in a message on Tuesday.
“With the situation with the company, I have made the hard decision to leave.”
Ms Sheehan was the third manager within the past year, sources said.
A man who answered a mobile phone number listed on the centre’s website said he had nothing to do with HEI Schools and hung up when asked about the liquidation.
The centre, which opened in late 2019 and has capacity for 131 children aged from six weeks to five years old, is owned by Finnish Early Childhood Education (Lara).
Its parent company – Finnish Early Childhood Education (Australia) – is majority owned by Hong Kong-based investors.
Melbourne firm Dye & Co was appointed liquidator on October 29, according to Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) documents.
The appointment was kickstarted by the Australian Taxation Office after it filed a winding up application with the Federal Court in August.
A similar application was made in May against the group’s Waurn Ponds centre, located on Ghazeepore Rd, but that matter was settled.
Finnish Early Childhood Education has 20 individual entities listed on the ASIC register, including four based in the Geelong region.
The Lara facility is the sole operation being liquidated.
Lead liquidator Nick Giasoumi of Dye & Co said parents were contacted early Wednesday afternoon and assured the centre would continue to operate while a new buyer was sought.
“The existing owners opened around Covid time and were always playing catch up,” he said.
“They’ve done the hard yards and hopefully a new owner can come in and capitalise.
“The centre will continue to trade as a going concern.”
Mr Giasoumi said communication with parents was delayed because the site’s landowner had to be briefed first.
HEI centres incorporate Finnish early childhood education concepts and lists the University of Helsinki as its academic partner.
“We view the child as a whole person and take into account every part of the child’s development and wellbeing,” the HEI website states.
“We pay close attention to children’s socio-emotional, physical, creative and cognitive growth and character development.
“The HEI Schools curriculum supports children to be active agents in their own learning and development so that they learn to love learning.”
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