In 1994, King Solomon Learning Center was started by Jun and Milleth Paragas in Tatalon, in Quezon City, Manila.
Jun and Milleth began working among the urban poor in Tatalon in1980, living among and ministering to those living in abject poverty. Their work among the urban poor revealed to them that quality education for the poor was of paramount importance if families were to find financial freedom and break the cycle of poverty.
The quality of education in the public (government-funded) schools is very low, due to oversized classes, insufficient school facilities and improperly trained teachers. There are private schools that offer quality education, but the exorbitant fees put this option far beyond the reach of the poor.
So, Jun and Milleth started the King Solomon Learning Center (KSLC) in Tatalon, with the vision of offering affordable, quality education. They began with about 30 pre-school students and one teacher. Two years later, they opened a second pre-school in a neighbouring area called Santo Domingo, with 15 students and one teacher. By 1999, more than 80 students were attending the two schools, with many more children on a waiting list.
In 1999, with the help of Mike and Jean Snellgrove of Newcastle, Australia, the Alpha Christian Education Foundation was created as the non-profit organization in the Philippines that supports the work and development of the King Solomon Learning Center.
That same year, a team in Newcastle was also formed, led by the Snellgroves, to support the work in Manila. The KSLC Australia team has contributed greatly to the physical development of the school, as well as providing for staff development, classroom resources, and other projects assisting the families involved with the school.
One of the primary functions of the KSLC Australia team is finding sponsors in Australia who will financially “adopt” children whose family cannot afford to send them to school.
Through the sponsorship program, the vision of providing quality education to some of the poorest families in Manila is being realised.
In 2007, Jun and Milleth were able to purchase a property which provided a central location for the school. The name of the school was changed to King Solomon Christian School International, or KSCSI. In addition to centralising the preschools into one area, KSCSI was also able to offer an elementary school – with almost 90 students enrolled in grades 1 & 2 in the first year!!
Each subsequent year, another grade level is being added – and more classrooms being built - so that by the school year 2011-2012, there will be a complete elementary school, through grade 6.
In addition to the KSLC Australia team in Newcastle, Christian schools and churches throughout Australia have begun to partner with KSCSI to see the cycle of poverty broken among the urban poor of Manila.