WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao government has formally established the agreements aimed at improving safety in schools through a National Decree, with a multidisciplinary working group now expected to meet every week through December 2026.
Education union DOEN confirmed that it received the National Decree on Sunday after pressing the government to formally document the agreements reached during consultations over growing concerns about safety in Curaçao’s schools.
The union described the decree as an important first step, but stressed that adopting a formal framework alone will not solve the problems facing teachers, other school employees and students.
According to DOEN, “the real work starts now.”
The National Decree provides the legal framework for a working group that will bring together the parties involved in addressing school safety. The group is expected to meet once a week until December and work toward concrete measures aimed at creating safer working and learning environments.
DOEN had insisted during the recent discussions that agreements reached between the government, education representatives and other stakeholders should not remain informal commitments.
The union believes a formal structure is necessary to ensure that safety policies are implemented consistently across schools and that the various government ministries involved accept responsibility for their respective roles.
DOEN emphasized that school safety cannot be treated solely as an issue for school boards, teachers or the Ministry of Education. Instead, the union considers it a national responsibility requiring coordinated action from different ministries and institutions.
The union also warned that improving security will require financial resources.
According to DOEN, the government must be prepared to invest in whatever measures the working group determines are necessary to make employees and students safer. The union said meaningful improvements cannot be expected without accepting that additional security measures will carry costs.
The establishment of the working group follows a week of intensive discussions about violence and safety within Curaçao’s education system.
The government previously announced several immediate measures, including increased police attention around schools considered to have a higher risk profile, a uniform procedure for reporting and following up on incidents and designated contact points for school safety.
Schools were also asked to dedicate attention to respect, tolerance, violence prevention, positive citizenship and shared responsibility.
DOEN said one of the most important developments of the past week has been the determination shown by education workers themselves.
The union pointed to a meeting Sunday afternoon that drew a large turnout from people working throughout the education sector. DOEN also thanked other unions for supporting the effort to improve conditions in schools.
With the National Decree now in place, attention will shift from consultations and promises to implementation.
For DOEN, the weekly meetings through December will be an important test of whether the government and the education sector can turn the agreements reached during the recent crisis into lasting measures that make Curaçao’s schools safer for both employees and students.