St. Martin News Network

I am baffled.
How can children, with no documents for the Island, be traveling in and out of the Island whenever they want? This just does not make sense. Then, the schools for the undocumented are complaining about not receiving subsidy from Government but yet many of those parents claim not to be able to meet their monthly payments but have money to be traveling at will on vacation.

SXM, when are we going to wake up and open our eyes? These parents don't give a hoot about their children' future but we and our Government should? Then those undocumented schools are in deplorable conditions, not fit to house any schools yet Ms. Elshot want Govt. to use them instead of new buildings. She is concerned because government found a temp. solution in Lionel Connor school, which is in far better condition than those buildings, because their schools are losing money?

Man I really do not understand what is happening here anymore. Has education become a "money making" racket? She should be happy that, finally, she won't have to be burdened with having to foot the bills for any rent and or teachers. Are those 600 @ 800 children being out of school also Govt.'s fault? Their parents refuse to send them to school but yet Govt. is the problem? Come on people, get a life. Those children have to be sent back home to their native Islands or we are doomed. Just imagine, no documents, no education, how else will they survive in the future ... if not by crime? What is wrong with people today? Where have your senses gone? Doesn't anyone care about the future of this once tranquil, friendly, prosperous, Caribbean jewel we once called SXM?

Guess I am just going to Curacao to check into the mental hospital, since it seems that I have lost my mind if this article is what normal thinking is all about.

This situation is the root of all evil. You cannot have children living and or born on st Maarten not attending school. These same children, when adults or teenagers will rob, rape or kill. The system is the problem. If you allow the people into your country to a*sist in its progress, the progress should not be limited. But MUST be extended to the children born and raised on St Maarten. These parents who came here with small chidren must be a*sisted with schooling. Please do not be soo naive. William Marlin kindly open the school on the Fort Willem hill for yet more so called undocumented children. Please read the UN chapter on right of the child. The same goes for housing. When you allow these people into you country you have to provide them with the basic fundamental rights.

In response to I gone looney. An update to reality.
Education has become comercialized, and not a "money making racket" Let the Board and founders of Hillside Christian School tell you how they started out ! They mortgaged their own personal home and started as pioneers with what is a very good and update school today. 25 years ago they didn't receive any subsidy from Government either.
Today their teachers are paid accordingly and they are fully subsidized, but you can ask any subsidized school board. The schools under subsidized school boards still hold regular yearly FUNDRAISING' s to make ends meet.

Now back to I gone looney, so what do you think about the schools that are not subsidized, the logical thing to do since we have a track record of the good results we produce and our schools are proud when our student are among the high achievers in the St. Maarten Academy first formers Award Ceremony e.g. Jayhvaughny Ayee and Nalini and others.
I think the school deserves a little recognition and a subsidy to cover the hard work of the teachers in the form of subsidy is more than over due.
It is not about a Money-making racket when G.E.B.E. con- siders a school a business and add to the water-bills a fuel clause also, while domestic bills don 't pay a fuel clause.
Fuel clause is 3 to 4 times your real consumption ?.
Is it a money-making racket when you are taxed back taxes for years that you didn't have a large scale operation, but just one cla*s that during the school year grew to 2 or 3 cla*ses. The a*sistant teachers were paid minimum wages back in 2002-2003-2004-2005 and no real taxes were deducted from their wages.
Today The Fed.-Isl. Receiver and S.V.B. are back taxing down to when the foundation didn't legally exist.
Is this a money making racket ?
Now work permit has double from Nafls 800,- to Nafls 1.600,--
Once I have a good foreign teacher, I want to mantain that teacher, even though I run the risk of the Island Government or any subsidized school taken that teacher way from me (look at Teacher Merlyn, Janki, Merry-Ann, Patsy, Alitha and others) they all worked for my school, but due to the shortage of others have been transferred to those subsidize school
Is this Money-racket ?
I fully agrre that the SVB have to be up-to-date, but when the 15th of the month comes around and you don't have the full amount for AOV/AWW and ZV(sickness insurance) then for sure you can't pay half then and hal later.
To top gone looney iceberg, when you can get the profit tax statement saying you owe Nalfs. over 69,- thousand guilders, then I surely agree with you that you should check in the mental hospital and save a space for me.
The only thing is that I am educating children, I don't know them, they are not my family bacause at age 12 I started with my family, my brothers and sisters and still going stron g after 40 years educating and 30 years as a qualified teachers.
In closing gone looney, please leave me alone, because as you can see I generate business for the Government also, so they must also consider this. I will be happy to inform you when I receive subsidy even if you are in Curacao in the Mental hospital.
Thanks for your concerns, but I too m from here. My mother came HERE, caught her cold HERE and coughed me out HERE. I am proud to be a TEACHER in my COUNTRY.
As my grandmother, who also came here but lives in the U.S.A. today would instill in me. I will walk with my head up and keep it up no matter what. I am proud to be a DO-ER and a contributor to changing lives, many, many...lives. I see them all the time and with great respect, they hug, great and kiss me with the salutation Teacher Claire.
Now that you got it leave it HERE

I gone looney, me 2 gone looney and more will go looney very soon
At the moment things are extremely bad on this island, not only for its own people, but for immigrants as well.
Still no matter how bad the situation gets, immigrants are so @)**&&^$%$...desperate, they prefer fighting we the native St. martiners in our own home.
Imagine if things get better, we will NEVER, EVER get rid of these %^^**^%# blood suckers.
What is wrong with going back to where you or your parents from.
We need to clean we own home, give us a %^&&*&&^$% break and scramm, get lost find a home that really belongs to you.
.

Criminals were all mama babies, who were deprived of love, care and a proper education? If these people are good to a*sist with the creation of sxm the paradise, why not allow the children in school. Most of these socalled illegal children were born here. Ms hodge in Cole bay is a bloodsucker. She only cares about money. Do not critize the goverment for allowing children to attend regular school. Be thank full to god that they are given an EDUCATION. If Claire is right there are more to cater to. Go up in the hills, WORK for your money. I am a witness of many of these situations. Help solve to problem do not be part of it

Well, well, well.
Now the truth is coming out of the bag.
Over 600 to 800 students out of school, gimme a break.
What study did the (S.M.U.F.E.C.) do to justify this.
I could just stay on the side of the road and state anything, ofcourse THIS IS A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY. And we can all have our SAY, but let's come out and TELL THE TRUTH.
What this article is telling me loud and clear is that these people are behaving like sour grapes. They are ofcourse loosing business to compulsory education.
For years they have made money on the poor undocumented students whose parents have to pay every month to keep their children in school.
Want to be legalized ???? Gimme a break. If you really wanted it this bad, you would have lived up to the agreements that are stated by the law. Then you would qualify for government subsidy.
Now that they are loosing students all at once what goverment is doing is bad.
I know of students who come from these so called make-shift schools when their parents finally get documents to reside here. And most of them struggle the first year. Why ????
Because the schools are just what they are called Make-shift schools. Where teachers work who dont even have the necessary qualifications. Most of them are poor people who want to work. And many of them are USED AND ABUSED by these same foundations. Ask those teachers about the labor laws for the Netherlands Antilles and they will laugh you to scorn.
And yes, of course BRAG about the few who make honors in CXC. We are all aware of how you can pump students and teach them the exams to excel when they take them. Thats an old trick that every educator uses.
And then ofcourse you will always have bright students who will EXCEL in any educational environment.
But just think about those poor students who struggle year after year with poor quality education in these so called schools
So my dear ladies, THANK GOVERNMENT for at least granting these poor students the opportunity to get a FORMAL education and stop looking at your pockets running empty.
After all according to the UNESCO treaty Education is for All and its for FREE. It's up to parents who will decide where they will send their children to school.
And finally if there are so many students up in the hills, then dont blame the Government and if there are children who leave the island with their parents during the school year.
Then that too is the RESPONSIBILITY of THEIR PARENTS.
And not GOVERNMENT.

BUT HERE THESE BUNCH OF LUNATICS EVEN TO TEACHERS FALL ON THERE HEAD LATELY GIVE THOSE 800 HUNDRED A SCHOOL ROOM AND NEXT YEAR IT WILL BE 1600 HUNDRED YOU ALL DONT EVEN NOW HOW THEY GOT HEAR IN THE FIRST PLACE. BUT WAIT ST MAARTEN GOING TO FALL SO HARD THE LEADERS GOING TO HAVE TO RUN FOR THEIR LIFE .WELL ON IT'S WAY

Dear dear Clair,

At least you see there are more than me who have opened their eyes as to what is going. What is happening is totally unfair to those children. Their parents, first of all, are criminals. They are killing all, future, opportunities those children might have had. Then the so called "undocumented" schools are just as guilty of depriving those children of a "proper" education and a bright future by encouraging those parent to bring in their children illegally.

We have an immigration policy. Why don't you champion the cause to educate the parents as to the right procedures to follow in bringing their children here?
Once arriving on the Island, documented, our Government will have control of the situation and plan ahead for enough school rooms each year. That way the children are placed into the, proper, educational system right away instead of keeping back others who are further ahead of them and frustrating the teachers of the subsidized schools who then have to try and bring them up to par. (talk to those teachers of their concerns)

You are busy with issues that you have no proper training for. This situation cannot be compared to you teaching your siblings and neighborhood children. We are talking about 600 to 800 children out of school and as of today another (plus mins) 200 children from The Starlight foundation, who once again messed up terribly. Who you will blame again? Government? Ms. Hodge had time to try and work things out or at least alarm someone as to the critical situation. But nooooo, look what happens again. Where will she now hold cla*ses, under a mango tree?
Come on, if you call yourself "an educator" you should be able to put the issues in proper perspective and be realistic.

You try to make me out to be a "foreigner basher" while you and those like you are the ones taking advantage of the undocumented foreigners. Work along with Government and see how the undocumented could become documented in a uniformed and legal manner. When these children grow up and are still undocumented, what happens to them then? Cannot further their studies, cannot find work (illegal), finally having to resort to crime and prostitution to survive. What happens to SXM, yes, the same as what is happening all around us, more ghettos, more gangs, more criminals, more diseases, more shacks, etc. etc,. Is this your meerderjarige plan for SXM? Ref. diseases, we are also short staffed on medical personnel and Dr's but that is another issue.

My God, for once in your sorry lives, seriously think of the children who you all are making suffer. The issue here is not so much education (which they are not receiving properly anyhow) in as much as it is the "general social welfare" of this Island it's residents.

Keep your "intended" insults to yourself and prove that you are a rational, educated "ole head" of this Island.