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May 15, 2008
bron Saba News Agency
St. John's, Saba: On Tuesday morning members of the Educational Task force on Saba
presented the draft education plan for the Island Territory of Saba to Lt. Governor
of Saba, Mr. Sydney Sorton on behalf of the Island as well as the Executive Council
at the Innovations Bureau.
Chairman of the task force Mr. Franklin Wilson before presenting the draft plan
explained that the task force took a little longer than expected to have the draft
plan completed because they wanted to have the input from all stakeholders. It took
the task force 15 months to carry out their task under the guidance of Dr. Lennox
Bernard the consultant. Mr. Wilson also explained that USONA was very interested in
assisting the island and financed the project to have the plan drafted which was
commissioned by the Executive Council of Saba.
We spent many hours working together as task force to put this much awaited on
document together and we are all extremely happy that we could finally present it to
the Government and people of Saba. The plan surely represents the wishes and desires
of all entities that are involved with education on the island. In 2002 when we
embarked on the new innovations in education we immediately saw the need to have a
education policy put in place it did take longer than we did expect to start the
preparatory work but we have finally completed our task.
The Consultant Dr. Lennox Bernard said that he enjoyed working with the local
members of the task force and he commended them sincerely for their dedication and
he also pointed out that it was not easy at times as everyone had their own idea on
what they would have liked to see in the draft plan to look like. Today we are all
happy that at last we have been able to complete our task and I am extremely happy
that the entire Island Council of Saba together with the Lt. Governor has taken time
out to be present for the presentation. He called on the politicians not to take the
draft policy and only use certain parts out of it. We need to have the entire plan
accepted by the Island Council and carried out because the members of the task force
has spent several hours obtaining the information and all of this was done pro deo.
In receiving the draft plan Lt. Governor Sydney Sorton said that he was honored to
have been afforded the opportunity to receive the draft plan and I look forward in
it beign dealt with by the politicians in order for it to become the official
educational policy of the government of Saba. With this now the island has something
to barging with for the future of our education on the island. also in attendance
were Commissioner of education Mr. Chris Johnson who had high praise for the members
of the Task Force and the consultant for the work that they have done. We now have
something that we can discuss with the Dutch as we move towards becoming a part of
Holland. Also attending were Commissioner Bruce Zagers, Island Council members Carl
Buncamper, Rolando Wilson and Akilah Levenstone.
Each member of the Island Council was presented with a copy of the draft Education
Plan 2008 to 2018. The task force decided to have the plan named "A comprehensive
vision and policy for Education and Youth on Saba.
In the afternoon the members of the Taskforce and the consultant also presented the
draft plan to all teachers, school boards and parents at the innovations Bureau.
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