Compulsory education to be
enforced in next school year
WILLEMSTAD--Former police officer and Parliamentarian Richinel Look has been appointed special coordinator for the judicial part of compulsory education. The intention is that the new compulsory education law of 2007 will be fully enforced starting in the 2008-2009 school year.
The law has specific articles that will give judicial departments and officials specific and autonomous tasks in the island territories. Based on the compulsory education law, each island territory will appoint compulsory education inspectors who will have investigative authority.
Besides the island territories, the Central Government will have the authority to enforce the law and check if it is being complied with.
The law was passed August 2007 and, after one year of preparation and information, it will be enforced as of August this year, Education Minister Omayra Leeflang said during a recent press briefing.
Look said he would be assembling a special team of four to five people who will apply the new law on compulsory education on a zero-tolerance basis.
The new law, Leeflang said, is intended to prove how valuable youth is for the country. The minister had found it impossible to believe that there had been so much innovation in education, yet the dropout rate was still high.
She said a special telephone line would be established via which the compulsory education inspectors could be reached. A conference with relevant authorities involved in executing the law on compulsory education such as the Immigration Department, Court of Guardianship, Minister of Justice, and coordinator Richinel Look will be organised on May 20.
