SOUTH REWARD--A group of Milton Peters College (MPC) students who had requested a three-day extension of the Christmas holiday break in a “private” letter to Education Minister Wycliffe Smith, said on Sunday that they were saddened to see the minister respond to them via the media when he has not even formally responded to their written request.
Smith spoke about the request during the Council of Ministers press briefing last Wednesday and elaborated on why it had been denied.
“It is sad that we, students of Milton Peters College, have been informed and answered to our – personal, not public – request to the Minister of Education about postponing the starting date of school after the celebration of the New Year [in the media – Ed.],” students said in a statement to The Daily Herald on Sunday.
“The minister has yet to respond formally to us. We had expected from our honourable Minister a personal response, or an appointment for a meeting, not to debate on arguments but to come to an agreement which would have satisfied both parties.”
The students said the School Board for Secondary Education SVOBE representatives in their regular meetings with the Ministry of Education were indeed notified about the vacation schedules, just like other school boards, and had given their feedback, asking for a postponement of the starting date after Christmas vacation.
The students said Dutch teachers purchasing expensive flight tickets to go to their family in the Netherlands having to travel to St. Maarten on New Year’s Eve to start working on January 2 is not the kind of start of a new year for which one would wish.
“Of course, if forced, all family members and teachers will return to work January 2. The point is that, because of a continuous change of ministers, government and cabinets, such comments as asking a postponement risk to be piled up and forgotten; and not much time must have been left to really discuss the matter. It has always remained an open question. Hurricane Irma has been another distraction and the rebuilding and restart of the school has taken its toll as well and again time,” the students noted.
Students said the request for a postponement had been made on time by different school boards in the last couple of months.
“Although educators are part of the workforce as indicated by our honourable minister, teachers are 100 percent linked to students and vice versa. Without students, there won’t be teachers and without teachers there won’t be students. We are a unique embodiment within society.
“The students are not employees and as a unique body we should not be compared to as such. It is not that we want an extension of the Christmas vacation; we are against the school reopening merely one day following the celebration of the New Year. This is not a desirable circumstance for both students and teachers, because of above-mentioned reasons,” students stressed.
“This situation is much more extensive than simply the reopening of the school doors on January 2. Decisions have been taken on higher level for students without our voices being heard. We too want to have a say on decisions that pertain to us. Every unfortunate circumstance regarding us requires a solution, and we want to be participants looking for these solutions.”
Students expressed hope that the minister take note of their statements and said they are still looking forward to a personal response and a sit-down with the minister as requested in their private letter, to find an amicable solution for this pending issue.
In their request, the MPC students asked for a three-day extension so that they can return to school on Monday, January 7, instead of Wednesday, January 2 as has been scheduled.
Smith had said last week that while he applauded the students for making the request and for letting their voices be heard, the request cannot be granted and the Christmas break for all schools with the exception of the schools under the Foundation for Academic and Vocational Education (FAVE), will remain from December 17, 2018, to January 1, 2019. In elaborating on why their request had been denied, Smith said school vacation schedules are created three years in advance.
When Smith decided to not grant the students’ request he considered that the Christmas vacation schedule had been made available three years ago and was provided to school boards at the time. All school boards were invited to give their feedback to ensure that the schedules were accurate and feasible and had been approved by all school boards before being communicated to the public.
He said also that everyone will return to work after the holidays on January 2, including family members and teachers. “This is one of the reasons why the request was nullified.”
He said also that since the vacation schedule was accepted and approved three years ago, many had already made plans for the Christmas vacation, including those who will be travelling and have their confirmed tickets in their hands.
“Other than FAVE, no other school board has asked for an adjustment in schedule,” he said. He encouraged the students to continue voicing their concerns and proposing solutions on significant issues affecting the community. He invited young leaders to meet with him, as he said he believes they have a positive contribution to make.
