WILLEMSTAD - They no longer want to hear about cutbacks. Investments must be made in education. With targeted policies, students should finally have real equal opportunities to develop their talents to the best of their ability.
That is the urgent message contained in the resolutions that representatives of the education unions DOEN and STSK and parent organization ReMa Uní offered to President of Parliament Ana-Maria Pauletta, Prime Minister Eugene Rhuggenaath and Governor Lucille George-Wout. They did this on behalf of the hundreds of protesters, including teachers, students and parents, who walked along to Wilhelminaplein last weekend.
A dramatic call, said Marbella Felipa, leader of the new union DOEN when she handed the resolution over to Rhuggenaath in his position as Minister of Education. "Investing, but also modernizing," Rhuggenaath replied to Felipa. “As a government, we also believe that good quality education should be accessible to everyone, regardless of your origin or the neighborhood where you live. In that respect, we have a common goal.”
The demonstrators are "deeply concerned about the announced plans by the government of Curaçao to cut 12.5 percent of the income of employees in education and the alleged cuts of 18 percent in education," all three resolutions begin. Union DOEN "notes that the government has failed to make structural investments in education," although this has been included in the coalition agreement. As a result, the unequal opportunities that have "existed for decades" persist and "the infrastructure of most of the schools on the island is in poor condition."
The urgent appeal to the government is to officially declare education a national priority' and to 'develop education programs that focus on developing strong individuals who can critically reflect on their own development and developments in society. A targeted policy is needed to overcome the inequality between schools "for once and for all", "so that students not only have equal opportunities on paper, but also in practice".
The union asks the government to ensure that "students of Curaçao can receive education in adequate school buildings with the necessary facilities and ICT infrastructure" and "take concrete steps and keep agreements" in the context of the legal position of the professionals.
It is an appeal to parliament to urge the government to address these issues expeditiously. The resolution addressed to Governor Lucille George-Wout points out that the austerity measures "have very negative consequences for education in Curaçao, in particular for students and teaching staff."
The urgent request to the governor is therefore 'to take into account the social reality and educational situation in Curaçao in the emergency aid requirements imposed on the Curaçao government and to strive as much as possible for a differentiated and fairer curtailment system.
The teachers and members of the non-teaching staff who took part in the demonstration received the support of their school board. The Joint School Boards announced this in a press release, including Roman Catholic Central School Board (RKCS), Association for Protestant Christian Education (VPCO), Fundashon pa Skol Humanista and Stichting IFE.
