Dutch State Secretary to address
issue of undocumented children
PHILIPSBURG--Dutch State Secretary of Kingdom Relation Ank Bijleveld-Schouten plans to discuss the issue of schools for undocumented children in St. Maarten during the scheduled political consultation in October.
She announced her intention to discuss this issue in answers she gave to questions posed by Dutch Member of Parliament for the CDA party Jan Jacob van Dijk about schools for undocumented children in St. Maarten.
She said she would be meeting with Minister of Education Omayra Leeflang and all the island territories to discuss a new educational and youth programme. “I will make use of this opportunity to discuss this issue with Leeflang and Education Commissioner of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot-Williams,” she stated.
Bijleved-Schouten agreed with Van Dijk that it was “highly peculiar” that St. Maarten tolerated foreign workers residing illegally on the island while the children of these foreigners were not allowed to receive regular education.
She said the Antillean Co-Financing Organisation AMFO noted in its 2007 annual report that besides regular education, St. Maarten also had 10 schools providing education to 700 children residing illegally on the island.
She added that although schools for undocumented children were tolerated in St. Maarten, another 100 children were not being taken care of and had no access to education. “The regular schools simply do not have sufficient capacity to take care of the children of illegal workers,” she said.
