PHILIPSBURG:--- “With great gratitude and humbleness, I say thank you to the voters who continue to support me which provided me the opportunity to serve in office as a minister in the Government of Sint Maarten for four years. As minister of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport I had the opportunity to work with the various managers of the organization, the Departments, and the Divisions.
“At The Division of Public Education, I worked with the managers, staff, and teachers at the various Government schools. My colleagues in the former Council of Ministers, my staff, and their staff, and all the different persons throughout the building and the other buildings of Government, everyone direct or indirect with Government, I would like to say thank you from the depth of my heart,” the former minister Rodolphe Samuel said on Sunday in a press statement.
“On the 28 of March 2020, I walked into the office, and no one was there. I met a transition document on the desk, and it all started from there. Introducing myself to all who I met was done in the way we did it during COVID-19. However, we moved forward, and I remembered that ensuring everyone was safe and getting education back on track was the order of the day.
“I started with what was in front of me, and I remember asking the managers how I could assist you with what you were busy with. Some were happy with the questions, and the way forward was discussed. For others, it was confusing, as they thought that I should say what I wanted, and they would follow.
“The weekend of 16-19 of October I will always remember. That weekend, we worked on getting public schools ready for school activities. I was tasked with solving issues that were there for many years. Water was running on the playground of the Vocational School in South Reward, and the new wing was being put in operation as requested. The water running out of the toilet at PWAS for years had to be remedied. The toilets at Oranje school and the classroom that had flooded every night for seven years before I came could not continue. All COVID measures had to be in place at all the schools, not only public schools.
“For the students that would be at home, devices had to be provided, and online education became the “new word” of the day. With the ease of the pandemic, attention could then be given to other areas, and many topics received attention simultaneously. All four departments, six divisions, seven public schools, the National Sports Institute, the country package, which was new, the repairs and rebuilding of schools, the library, and the contractors that were not cooperating with the building and repairs of schools were all on the stove at the same time.
“Everyone and everything were asking for attention and energy at the same time, and rightfully so. The making of a transition document is to provide the incoming minister as much as possible, with an overview of matters that are ongoing. The transition document gives a layout of the ministry and the mission and vision of the ministry. Government is continuous, and the people's affairs were the number one priority for me.
“The digitalizing of Public Education, the completion of the Special Needs Education Policy, the completion of the Law of Supervision of Compulsory Education, the upgrading of the law on education supervision which is ongoing, the program to upgrade teachers, the school summer vacation of six weeks, efforts to upgrading the breakfast program, the repairing of the many schools which is still ongoing, the start of the repairs of sport facilities, the building of play grounds and sport parks for the public, the establishment of the prelaw program, the continuation of the law program, the start of the one cent per liter idea, the ready to go expansion of the John Larmony Center, the repairs to the public swimming pool in Cay Hill, research on the language of instruction is still ongoing.
“The many cultural manifestations, the pre-Sint Maarten Day school parade, the Sint Maarten Day parade, the assisting of many individuals, groups, and organizations with funds to travel to events, being at the airport or seaport to wish them well, attending of many sports events, the assistance provided to many students with scholarships, being present and on time for Council of Ministers meetings, the pre-academic year idea at the University of St. Martin (USM), being the chair for the Caribbean Safe School Initiative, the changing of the guard of the Sint Maarten Olympic Committee, and the ongoing replacement of the Manager at the National Sports Institute, the ongoing project of replacing the lights at JCJL stadium and the subsidy to assist with the light at the new sports area at the Little League Sports Park, are some of the things that I have been a part of.
“The subsidy to the Sint Maarten Youth Brigade, which benefits our youth, the five containers of school material for the Martin Luther King School and Milton Peters College, the restart of the building of PWAS St. Peters, and the start of the repairs at the Martin Luther King School (MLK) in Dutch Quarter, are some of the achievements that come to mind. I am particularly happy to see the attention that has been given to education, culture, the level of sports in many areas, and the assistance to many youths that are positively engaged, I am proud to have played a role.
“The areas that certainly need continuous attention are school fights, the completion of the Prince Willem Alexander School (PWAS) St. Peters, the completion of MLK Dutch Quarter, the after-school programs for public schools, the unresolved matters at Marie Genevieve De Weever School(MGDW) at Hope Estate, the regulation of school bussing, the National Program Recovery Bureau (NRPB) schools and library rebuilding program, the repairs to the Cultural Center, the reestablishment of the youth desk, parents’ role in educating their children, the 1% COLA and other payments, the salary upgrades of teachers and their wellbeing, are some of the initiatives that have been started or are in progress. My last letter, written before leaving the office, concerns the increase in teachers' salaries. My biggest challenge in office was getting the parents of expelled students and the school board to the table to get the students back in class, which is still ongoing.
“To the persons that worked with me in my cabinet again, my word of thanks and gratitude. Special thanks to Mr. Daison Marks for taking on the challenge at the Division of Public Education, where he did a good job in an environment of diplomatic lack of assistance. To all in education, the school boards, management teams, staff, teachers, students, parents, and the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU), it was a humbling learning experience for me. To all who have been there for me, encouraging me, advising me, and giving me a listening ear when I needed it, to my wife and my family and friends, thank you for being there for me as I am happy to have been able to serve my country in this capacity. I continue to believe that education is important. Thank you,” the former Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport drs. Rodolphe E. Samuel concluded in his thank you statement on Sunday.