St. Maarten Private Eye

No Figures on Immigrant Children ---Says Sarah - 30th July 2008

From SMN News

Philipsburg: --- Commissioner of education Sarah Wescot Williams at yesterday’s press briefing said that a meeting is scheduled to discuss the implementation of compulsory education which has to be implemented on St. Maarten this year.
Wescot Williams confirmed that she received a letter from the Minister of Education Mrs. Omyara Leeflang who reminded her that compulsory education must be implemented as of August 1 2008.

The education commissioner said she met with the sector director of public welfare as well as the head of the education to discuss the matter since they are obliged to inform the general public on the implementation of the existing education law within the Netherlands Antilles.

Wescot Williams said that even though the law was not implemented due to the reprieve the island received last year, technically there are at least one secondary school on the island are accepting students who are not registered on the island. “At least 45% of the students at that school would not have been in school if the law was applied even though compulsory education will be formally introduced many children on St. Maarten who were not registered were enjoying education because the schools had what is called a tolerated policy.”

The commissioner said that a research has already been completed to see exactly how many students and their status is attending the so called illegal and undocumented schools. She said that government looked at the possibilities to have these schools be upgraded; some of these schools would have to be closed because of the hygiene conditions. Wescot Williams said now that they have taken that decision government has to now work on a plan to stream these students into the regular school system some of the things she said is part of the plan for compulsory education.

Asked if there are enough spaces in the schools on St. Maarten to accommodate all children living on the island; Wescot Williams said to date no one has the exact figure as to how many children are residing on the island illegally. She said even said that they have an idea based on the prognosis from the undocumented schools; government is fully aware there is a category of children that are not registered in schools. She said they will be putting out advertising looking for truancy officers who would be looking for the children living on the island and not in school.

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