During the Inspectorate of Education’s last visit to the Caribbean Netherlands (CN) in March 2018, the number of schools and educational institutions which achieved basic quality increased again. 20 out of 21 schools and educational institutions in the CN now have achieved basic quality.

This time on Bonaire basic quality was achieved by the VMBO & MBO unit of Scholengemeenschap Bonaire (SGB) and the Expertise Centre Education Care (Expertisecentra Onderwijszorg, EOZ). On St. Eustatius it concerns the MBO-1 department of the Gwendoline van Putten School (GvP) and the social opportunity pathways for the young, provided by the New Challenges Foundation. This is another milestone in the improvement process of education in the Caribbean Netherlands.

Minister Arie Slob (Education) reacts with joy: “Nearly all educational institutions in the Caribbean Netherlands have now reached the basic quality level. This is an outstanding achievement of the school boards, principals, teachers and school leaders in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. It truly has been a long road for several institutions but this makes it even more remarkable. More and more children are receiving the education which they are entitled to. The groundwork has been laid. Let’s continue to jointly contribute to proper education.”

The directors and principals of the institutions in question are also pleased and proud. Director Rosa Hoes of EOZ Bonaire: “It is fantastic that together we now represent basic quality, the next step is to fine-tune quality.” The SGB’s General Director Frans van Efferink is mostly proud of the teachers, who “as a team did a tremendous job”. Furthermore, he thinks it is “great that now we can show that our students have excellent opportunities to continue their education in Bonaire at an MBO institution which offers basic quality!”

Director Francine Foe of the New Challenges Foundation and Principal Rosalie Edelstein-Lopes of the GvP School emphasise the collaboration between their two institutions: “Together we worked towards one goal and we want to thank our staff for their efforts, commitment, perseverance and their proactivity.”

Traditionally, RCN/OCW celebrated this remarkable achievement with festivities together with the schools/institutions in question.

The Inspectorate of Education visited the training institutes twice a year in the run-up to achieving basic quality in the Caribbean Netherlands. The purpose of the visits was to monitor the progress of the quality improvement aimed at eliminating educational disadvantages and development lags. The frequency of the visits is reduced to once a year after an educational institution has achieved basic quality.

The targeted quality objectives for education have been laid down in the Education Agenda for the Caribbean Netherlands. The parties in education are currently working on achieving the objectives from the second Education Agenda. This education agenda is titled “Working Together On The Next Step” and covers the period 2017 to 2020.