PHILIPSBURG:---- Minister Rita Bourne Gumbs via a press release on Tuesday, waned to set the record straight about the statement made recently in Parliament were she mentioned her ministry plans for the Dutch language in the current educational system. Dutch is currently offered as a Foreign Language within English Foundation Based Education (FBE) schools.
Student performance in Dutch on the FBE Exit examination has lagged behind performance in English and Mathematics. Therefore there is a need to review the current curriculum, the delivery of the Curriculum and the assessment of Dutch, in order to introduce strategies to improve student performance in the Dutch Language in our schools stated the minister. The Ministry of Education intends to conduct research into further strengthening Dutch as a Foreign Language within English Foundation Based Education Schools.
In addition to this review of our language policy and review, the Minister considers possibilities to strengthen Dutch in public schools that currently all have English as language of instruction. The Minister also prioritized the possibilities to change one existing primary public school to a school with Dutch as language of instruction in order give parents a choice and create more possibilities for public primary school students to access a secondary school with Dutch as language of instruction concluded the Minister of Education on Tuesday in a press release.
