WILLEMSTAD - Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports (ESKD), Mr. Sithree van Heydoorn, has announced that Mrs. Nihayra Leona will assume the role of Director of the Public Schools Service (Dienst Openbare Scholen (DOS)) starting August 1, 2024. This announcement was made to staff both in person and via email.
The announcement took place during an informal meeting where the minister, alongside the ministry's Secretary-General, Mrs. Susan Larmonie-van Heydoorn, addressed the staff. Both officials expressed their gratitude to Mrs. Irelnety Copra for her contribution to maintaining peace and stability within the organization during her tenure as interim director.
Mrs. Nihayra Leona, the incoming director, shared her vision and provided a brief introduction about her professional background. She emphasized that one of her main priorities is to focus on the staff and collaborate with the DOS team to enhance the quality of education. She highlighted her extensive background in education, noting that she is a child psychologist specializing in school psychology, holds a master's degree in developmental psychology, has conducted various research on language issues, and is currently pursuing her PhD.
Leona outlined her leadership approach, which centers on dialogue, open communication, mutual respect, continuous learning, valuing initiative, striving for excellence and innovation, and fostering cooperation and professionalism. Following her presentation, a Q&A session was held, where Minister van Heydoorn invited questions from the staff and media, addressing all inquiries comprehensively.
The event concluded on a positive note, with Minister Sithree van Heydoorn wishing the new director, Mrs. Nihayra Leona, all the success in her new role.