WILLEMSTAD – Schools across Curaçao are officially open today, but parents and students face uncertainty over whether classes will proceed normally at every school. The Ministry of Education says education will continue, while teachers’ union SITEK has called on all education personnel to attend a general meeting during school hours at Kura Piedra.
The SITEK meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. The union’s call is not limited to its members but extends to all employees working in education. It remains unclear how many teachers and other school employees will attend, raising the possibility of staff shortages and cancelled classes at individual schools.
The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (OWCS) said it is in direct contact with school boards. If employees leave their workplaces to attend the SITEK meeting, school boards are responsible for making arrangements for the supervision and care of students.
The government has not ordered schools to close.
The unrest follows a serious violent incident at a school in Otrobanda on Thursday. A student reportedly brought a knife to school and pulled it during a confrontation with another student. A teacher who intervened was injured. Police arrested the student and confiscated the knife.
SITEK president Darius “Lio” Plantijn confirmed that the incident was the immediate reason for today’s meeting. According to Plantijn, teachers are increasingly concerned about their safety. He warned that the presence of knives at school requires urgent action to prevent violence from escalating further.
The government responded Sunday to SITEK’s criticism, rejecting suggestions that insufficient attention has been given to violence in schools. According to the ministry, statements by Plantijn suggesting that the government has failed to address the issue “do not correspond with the truth.”
The ministry said the situation requires dialogue between the government, unions and other stakeholders.
SITEK and education union DOEN have now been invited to an urgent meeting at Fort Amsterdam on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. The Ministers of Education, Justice, and Social Development, Labor and Welfare are expected to participate.
The government has also announced that implementation of the existing school safety plan will be accelerated and strengthened where necessary. Protocols dealing with serious violence, weapons and other dangerous objects at schools will also be reviewed.
Particular attention will be given to the consequences for students who bring knives, weapons or other dangerous objects onto school grounds or use them to threaten students or staff. An interministerial meeting is expected this week to discuss concrete measures.
DOEN has also become involved following Thursday’s incident. The union had already scheduled its own general meeting for Thursday evening, September 24, and has contacted SITEK to discuss whether the two unions can coordinate their response.
DOEN has asked its members to wear a gray union shirt or mourning attire today as a sign of solidarity with calls for safer schools.
The union said its next steps will partly depend on the outcome of Tuesday’s talks with the government. DOEN has indicated that Thursday could either become an occasion to “celebrate victory” if satisfactory measures are agreed upon or a moment to intensify its actions.
For parents and students, however, the immediate situation remains uncertain. Schools are officially open and the government says classes should continue, but conditions could vary considerably from one school to another depending on how many teachers and other employees attend SITEK’s meeting this morning.