Location:
We are located in Depanama, Pannipitiya (here).
Schedule:
We are open on Weekdays, except on public holidays.
Our operating hours are decided in consultation with participating families and are currently 10:00 to 4:00 (earliest drop-off at 9:30, latest pick-up by 4:30).
We have no pre-defined breaks - families can plan their holidays at their own convenience. However, we usually have some vacation days around Avurudu and Christmas.
Full Time / Part Time participation:
We are not an "extra-curricular activity" for children enrolled in conventional schools: being respected as a human can not be a part-time experience. However, the education of our children is not limited to what happens within our premises, so each family decides the extent of their participation based on what works best for their child.
Age Ranges:
A child's "Date of Manufacture" is not important - there is no minimum or maximum age for enrolment. It is up to each family to decide if the school works for them. Some guidelines to consider:
- We are not as "child safe" as a pre-school or day-care environment: there can be small objects (choking hazards) on the floor, scissors and knives are accessible, etc.
- As children play a very active role in all matters in the school, children with communication difficulties (speech delays, non-verbal) may find the environment challenging and may require additional support to feel comfortable. Note that it is not necessary to know to read, write or count (like other skills, children will learn them when they have the readiness and motivation)
- For children who are at the latter stages of preparing for standardized exams, and  wish to continue on that path, full-time enrolment may not be so useful, as none of the other currently enrolled children are preparing for such exams. However, a part-time enrolment may be an option, depending on your motivation to join Kinder Republic.
Language:
The currently enrolled children are bilingual and we use English and Sinhala interchangeably. We would love to have Tamil speaking children enrol so that our space would become trilingual.
Parent/Guardian Presence:
Parents and Guardians are welcome to stay at Kinder Republic and are actually encouraged to be present because one of the optimizing conditions for Self-Directed Education is access to a variety of adults committed to young people's rights.Â