President Daniel Gibbs signs the Wednesday Plan convention as Recteur’s representative Michel Sanz and Education Adviser and Wednesday Plan coordinator Andy Armongon (right) look on. Photo by Robert Luckock.
MARIGOT--President Daniel Gibbs on Friday signed the “Plan Mercredi” (Wednesday Plan) convention that links the Collectivité of St. Martin, National Education, Caisse d’Allocation Familiale (CAF) and the State via Direction Jeunesse et Sport (DJS) for extra-curricular school activities.
This quadripartite scheme initiated by the Ministry of National Education as part of the territorial educational plan aims to organise educational, cultural and sports activities on Wednesdays from 8:00am to 12:00pm for children ages three to 11 years. The scheme permits children to enjoy new activities and parents to have an alternative option for childcare on Wednesdays.
The Wednesday Plan will start at the beginning of January 2020. Caisse Territoriale des Œuvres Scolaires (CTOS) will ensure Wednesday activities in continuity with the week’s other extracurricular activities.
Teachers are also invited to join the scheme to take care of children with educational or linguistic activities, and games. The Rectorat, Collectivité and CTOS have been working together since early 2019 to implement the Wednesday Plan in St. Martin.
Gibbs welcomed this new initiative. “We have made great efforts to ensure that this programme is implemented in our territory and that it meets expectations,” he said. “I hope that teachers will join the CTOS staff to co-construct an effective Wednesday Plan for the benefit of our children. CTOS will increase the rates for extracurricular care from January; it was normal to provide a more complete service and to increase the number of activities proposed. This is a quality educational project for our young people.”
Michel Sanz, Head of Education in St. Martin who also represents Recteur Mostafa Fourar, added that this initiative would make it possible to incorporate universal values and work on citizenship and the acceptance of difference. It is also an inclusive project for children with disabilities or in need of special support.
Wednesday Plan will start in January in all public nursery and primary schools in St. Martin, potentially benefitting 4,000 children. Membership is by registration at the CTOS extracurricular service.
