By The Daily Herald From SXM TALKS

SABA/ST. EUSTATIUS–During the Inspectorate of Education’s last visit to the Caribbean Netherlands in March, the number of schools and educational institutions which achieved basic quality increased again. Now, 20 out of 21 schools and educational institutions in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba have achieved basic quality.

In Bonaire, basic quality was achieved by the VMBO/MBO unit of Scholengemeenschap Bonaire (SGB) and Expertise Centre Education Care EOZ.

In Statia, it concerns the MBO-1 department of Gwendoline van Putten (GvP) School and the social opportunity pathways for the young, provided by New Challenges Foundation.

Minister of Education, Culture and Science OCW Arie Slob reacts with joy to this new milestone in the improvement of education in the Caribbean Netherlands.

“Nearly all educational institutions in the Caribbean Netherlands have now reached the basic quality level. This is an outstanding achievement of the school boards, principals, teachers and school leaders in Bonaire, Statia and Saba. It truly has been a long road for several institutions, but this makes it even more remarkable. More and more children are receiving the education which they are entitled to. The groundwork has been laid. Let’s continue to jointly contribute to proper education,” Minister Slob said.

The Directors and Principals of the institutions in question are also pleased and proud. Director Francine Foe of New Challenges Foundation and Principal Rosalie Edelstein-Lopes of GvP School emphasise the collaboration between their two institutions.

“Together, we worked towards one goal and we want to thank our staff for their efforts, commitment, perseverance and proactivity,” they said.

“It is fantastic that together we now represent basic quality. The next step is to fine-tune quality,” Director Rosa Hoes of EOZ Bonaire said.

SGB General Director Frans van Efferink is mostly proud of the teachers, who “as a team did a tremendous job.” Furthermore, he thinks it is “great that now we can show that our students have excellent opportunities to continue their education in Bonaire at an MBO institution which offers basic quality.”

Traditionally, Dutch Government Department Caribbean Netherlands RCN/OCW celebrated this achievement with festivities together with the schools/institutions concerned.

The Inspectorate of Education visited twice a year in the run-up to achieving basic quality in the Caribbean Netherlands. The purpose of the visits was to monitor the progress of the quality improvement aimed at eliminating educational disadvantages and development lags. The frequency of the visits is reduced to once a year after an educational institution has achieved basic quality.

The targeted quality objectives for education have been laid down in the Education Agenda for the Caribbean Netherlands. Partners in education are currently working on achieving the objectives of the Second Education Agenda, titled “Working Together on the Next Step,” which covers the period 2017 to 2020.

Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/75965-caribbean-netherlands-education-attains-basic-quality-almost-in-full

For more on this story go to: https://www.sxm-talks.com/the-daily-herald/caribbean-netherlands-education-attains-basic-quality-almost-in-full/

IMAGE: Senior policy officer Elvin Henriquez of RCN/OCW (centre at right) hands a cake to MBO coordinator Brian Carty (centre left) of Gwendoline van Putten School. Director Francine Foe of New Challenges Foundation is at far right. Daily Herald