WILLEMSTAD - Schools in Curaçao are facing significant challenges in delivering quality education. During presentations in parliament, school administrations have expressed their concerns about bullying, financial issues, and the need for better support for teachers.
School principals note that bullying is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Where physical confrontations occurred in the past, bullying behavior is now shifting towards cyberbullying. "The problem is starting more often with younger children," says Hilhayra Leona, director of a local school.
As a result, it is more difficult for schools to intervene in a timely manner. In addition to bullying, many schools are dealing with students facing poverty and other social issues at home, affecting their emotional well-being.
Teachers
Another concern is the lack of support for teachers. Royla Paula-Pierre, director of the Catholic schools (RKCS), emphasizes that teachers play a crucial role in the education process. "They are close to the children and can have a positive or negative influence," says Paula-Pierre.
However, the current funding system mainly focuses on students and offers little moral or financial support for teachers. As a result, teachers lack a trusted person within the organization to discuss their problems.
Parents
In addition to the mentioned problems, school administrators have also pointed out the negative influence of parents' behavior on students. "Many children come to school with heavy emotional baggage due to problems at home," explains Leona. Relationship issues and evictions cause some children to appear disoriented at school, hindering their academic performance.
According to Leona, various agencies are available to support schools, such as social workers and psychologists. However, due to staff shortages and a lack of continuity in projects, these agencies cannot always provide the necessary assistance. This often leads to long waiting lists for help.
Confidant
Paula-Pierre suggests that schools become more creative in providing support to teachers. "Having a confidant within the school organization would be ideal," she says. Currently, schools use Arbo services for medical and psychological assistance, but these are limited. Funding from SNOOC is also used but is mainly focused on teacher training and retraining.