WILLEMSTAD – A formal warning from the Ombudsman of Curaçao about persistent shortcomings in the island’s education system has prompted parliamentary action. On February 4, Member of Parliament Giselle Mc William of the MAN-PIN party submitted written questions to Education Minister Van Heydoorn, calling for clarity and accountability over long-standing problems in the enforcement of compulsory education and access to schooling.
The questions follow a letter from the Ombudsman of Curaçao, which points to serious and structural deficiencies in the implementation of the compulsory education framework. According to the Ombudsman, children have been falling outside the education system for years, particularly those in vulnerable situations and students with special educational needs. The letter warns that the right to education is not being adequately safeguarded in practice.
Mc William argues that the Ombudsman’s findings confirm concerns that can no longer be ignored. In her questions, she asks what the government knew about these issues, how long they have been aware of them, and why effective structural solutions have failed to materialize. She also seeks clarification on how the government ensures compliance with the right to education as laid down in the National Compulsory Education Ordinance and in international treaties to which Curaçao is bound.
The parliamentary questions address several specific issues, including the number of children who are not enrolled in school or who have been without education for extended periods, the enforcement of compulsory education rules, and the role and regulation of homeschooling. Mc William also raises concerns about children who risk falling between systems and receiving no adequate educational provision at all.
In addition, she asks whether and how the recommendations of the Ombudsman will be implemented, and when Parliament can expect a concrete timeline for corrective measures. The questions place pressure on the Ministry of Education to demonstrate how it intends to address what the Ombudsman has described as systemic failures affecting some of Curaçao’s most vulnerable children.
The minister is required to provide written responses within the statutory timeframe, after which the issue may be taken up for further debate in Parliament.