WILLEMSTAD – Education union SITEK has refused to participate in consultations with the Curaçao government after, according to the union, authorities failed to respond to demands for stronger protection of school personnel.
The union is calling for immediate legal action against anyone who enters school grounds with the intention of threatening, intimidating or attacking staff. SITEK also wants a security guard stationed at every school in Curaçao.
The demands were adopted during an extraordinary general meeting on September 21 amid growing concerns about safety in and around schools.
SITEK said any visitor, parent, student or other person entering school premises with malicious intentions should face immediate legal consequences. The union specifically referred to threats, aggression, intimidation and attempted acts of this nature, as well as possession of weapons or prohibited substances.
In addition to tougher enforcement, SITEK called on the government to provide security personnel at every school.
The union demanded a government response that same day. According to SITEK, no response was received.
A meeting with the Minister of Education was scheduled for the following day, September 22. SITEK subsequently announced that it would not participate, saying the decision had been approved through a vote during a general membership meeting.
In a letter addressed to the Council of Ministers, SITEK's leadership expressed disappointment over the lack of a government response. The union said it would provide a more detailed explanation of its decision to stay away from the talks in a separate letter.
Copies of the correspondence were also sent to several parties, including the Ministers of Justice and Education, the Curaçao Parliament, school directors and school boards.
The dispute comes amid broader concerns about school safety on the island following recent incidents involving aggression and violence.
SITEK is arguing that the issue goes beyond preventing incidents and also concerns how quickly the government and judicial authorities respond when teachers and other school employees are threatened, intimidated or attacked.
The Curaçao government recently established a School Safety Task Force aimed at promoting a safer environment in and around schools for students, teachers and support personnel. The task force held its first meeting in September.