Minister Samuel holding the special needs education policy document during Wednesday’s press briefing.
PHILIPSBURG--The Council of Ministers has officially signed off on the special needs education policy, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) Rodolphe Samuel said on Wednesday.
Samuel presented a substantial document during the live Council of Minister press briefing, emphasising the policy’s magnitude and impact, noting that children with special needs will now have the right to quality education in St. Maarten.
He thanked the ministry for their dedicated efforts, while underscoring the policy’s overarching benefits for St. Maarten. “I am happy that this [the policy – ed.] is finished and we can move on to the next chapter,” he said.
Earlier this month during a parliamentary public session the minister told Members of Parliament (MPs) that consultations with various stakeholders, including school boards and organisations such as National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB), Prince Willem Alexander School (PAWS), Enable NV, St. Maarten Vocational Training School (SMVTS), 721 Kids Foundation and Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) had contributed to shaping the policy.
He further said that a roadmap for implementation will be drafted in 2024 to facilitate the effective execution of the policy.
