Social education Today’s article on the Social Education Programme gives some reason for hope regarding the future of school dropouts in St. Maarten, following all the negative reports about Antillean youngsters in Holland and the introduction of admittance restrictions for them. The programme, financed for 85 per cent by the Dutch Government, aims to give a second chance to those between 16 and 24 years old who for whatever reason failed to complete their education and find decent jobs. By making the programme compulsory in the near future, the Antillean Government hopes to address some of the social consequences of the alarming number of jobless dropouts on the islands, a considerable number of whom end up in the criminal circuit in Holland. But it’s important to remember that the programme is certainly not intended in the first place to alleviate the problems caused by ill-prepared Antillean youngsters moving to Dutch cities, or to avoid the much criticised admittance restrictions. The latter may not even be possible, as the Dutch Cabinet has already taken the decision, which is backed by a majority in the Second Chamber of Parliament. The social education duty is designed to help those among our youth who did not make it the first time around. A total of 25 people are already benefiting from the pilot programme and there is room for more. Of course, conditions must be created for them to succeed, which is the idea behind covering travel expenses, and day care for parents. The plan for a dormitory in Statia to take those involved out of their often less favourable living environment could also make a big difference. The programme is a good idea, regardless of the measures being introduced by Holland, and the Antillean Government should not link the two in terms of placing doubt on the future of the programme because of the admittance restrictions. That does not mean it can’t have an impact. It’s going to take a year before the legal framework for the new admittance policy is in place. During that time, in addition to opposing the measure, a successful start of the social education duty programme could well have an influence on the final outcome. Give us your opinion on this story Post a message on our message board! Click Here! Copyright ©1998-2004 The Daily Herald - Design by Dimitri774