PHILIPSBURG- St. Maarten faces challenges in streamlining higher education due to its small scale, limited resources in terms of competence and finances as well as the complexity of its educational system. Therefore, more coherence is needed in education to ensure smooth progression and innovation. This is what the acting Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports, Lyndon Lewis told Parliament on Thursday, September 5 as it convened for the handling of the Draft National Ordinance on Higher Education.
Parliament first received the draft national ordinance on February 8, 2023 and it was discussed in Central Committee in October last year.
“We stand on the brink of a transformative moment for St. Maarten. This is not just a legal framework but a foundation for the future of the island’s educational landscape. It represents an opportunity for us to empower our citizens, strengthen our workforce and drive the progress of St. Maarten,” Lewis said.
The presentation featured a history on higher education in St. Maarten, the basic principles of the draft ordinance, the outcome of stakeholder consultations and an overview of the ordinance’s legal provisions.
After a presentation by the Minister, Members of Parliament posed questions to the Minister in the first round. The meeting was then adjourned to allow the Minister time to prepare the answers to the questions posed by the Members of Parliament, particularly on the concerns raised by the University of St. Martin (USM).
The Minister was accompanied by the Secretary General of the Ministry and support staff of his cabinet.
The Parliament has also met with the USM regarding its views on the draft national ordinance.
The draft legislation in its current form has been hailed as landmark and took several years to prepare.
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