WILLEMSTAD – Education union DOEN says it expects concrete and immediately implementable measures to improve safety in Curaçao’s schools by Thursday, September 24, warning that teachers and other education workers could intensify their actions if the government fails to deliver satisfactory results.
The union issued the warning following talks with the government on school safety, describing its reaction to the meeting as mixed. DOEN said it was satisfied that several concerns and proposals were placed on the table and that the government agreed to continue working on them immediately.
At the same time, the union said anger and frustration remain high among education workers who participated in two days of action without yet seeing concrete results.
DOEN said it will return to negotiations determined to secure measures capable of restoring a sense of safety in schools.
“If on Thursday, September 24, 2026, we cannot present our colleagues, members and non-members of DOEN, with something concrete that supports the cause that united the education sector and brought it into action, then we will decide together how we will intensify the struggle,” the union said.
Among DOEN’s priorities are greater investment in care and support structures within schools, improved supervision accompanied by appropriate guidance, school safety plans and additional preventive measures.
The union stressed that the talks must result in measures that education workers can support and that can begin to be implemented immediately.
According to DOEN, frustration has reached a critical point after decades in which school safety problems have not received sufficient attention. The union said the education sector has spent nearly a week working toward solutions to a problem that has persisted for many years.
The government and education unions have intensified consultations following recent concerns about violence, threats and weapons in and around schools. Earlier this week, the government announced several short-term proposals, including improved registration of incidents, preventive police programs, greater visibility of authorities at selected high-risk schools, bag checks, information sessions, additional training for teachers and emergency drills.
DOEN said the next step must go beyond discussions and produce tangible results.
The union has scheduled a general meeting for Thursday at 7 p.m. at DOEN headquarters, where the proposed measures are expected to be presented to education workers for approval.
DOEN has also invited the other unions that participated in the government talks — STrAF, STSK and ABVO — to attend. According to DOEN, all three have confirmed their participation.
The union framed Thursday's meeting as a decisive moment: education workers will either be able to recognize progress made through their actions or decide collectively how to intensify their campaign for safer schools.