Educational Challenges in the Caribbean Netherlands – Italian Translation

 

BY Sterre Krijnen

Ogni studente conta! Nel 2011, questo slogan fu il primo tentativo dei Paesi Bassi Caraibici ed Europei di raggiungere equità educativa e aumentare la qualità dell’educazione nelle isole di Bonnaire, San Eustasio e Saba. Nonostante la qualità e l’equità siano aumentate, i Paesi Bassi Caraibici devono ancora fare i conti con degli ostacoli educativi significative nel 2023. Questo articolo esplorerà i tre ostacoli principali: la cura per gli studenti con bisogni speciali, il multilinguismo, e gli effetti della povertà.

Questo articolo analizza le tre difficoltà per capire l’accessibilità e la qualità dell’educazione nei Paesi Bassi Caraibici. Ma prima, dobbiamo capire a pieno la struttura governativa delle isole e i loro legami con i Paesi Bassi Europei, in modo da capire le barriere da abbattere e i tentativi da compiere per affrontarle. Inoltre, verrà data particolare attenzione alle procedure legislative riguardanti l’educazione e ai programmi educativi così da evidenziare le giuste procedure e spiegare il contesto in cui le difficoltà attuali continuano.

I tentativi ad-hoc per risolver l’inuguaglianza educativa

Nel 1948 Bonnaire, San Eustasio e Saba divennero parte delle Antille Olandesi, uno stato separato del Regno dei Paesi Bassi. Esse divennero nuovi governi locali. Ogni stato è governato da un consiglio esecutivo, un consiglio dell’isola e il governo nazionale Olandese. Da allora, le isole sono spesso chiamate i Paesi Bassi Caraibici o le Isole BES. (1)

Il Ministro dell’educazione, della cultura e delle scienze olandese è responsabile per l’educazione. Le scuole sulle isole fanno parte del sistema educativo olandese e sono monitorate dall’ispettorato educativo olandese. (2) Il Ministero dell’Educazione, il consiglio dell’isola e altri interessati hanno cooperato negli scorsi 12 anni per tre creare programmi legislativi, i cosiddetti “Programmi Educativi”.

I Programmi Educativi affrontano il tema dell’equità educativa tra le due parti dei Paesi Bassi. L’idea di base è che non dovrebbe essere importante se il bambino cresce nei Paesi Bassi Europei o Caraibici; le opportunità educative dovrebbero essere le stesse. (3) I programmi affrontano contesti specifici delle isole, siccome ci sono numerose differenze culturali, storiche, d’identità, linguistiche e organizzative rispetto ai Paesi Bassi Europeo. (4)

I primi due programmi trattano di tutte e tre le isole all’interno di un unico programma. Durante la stesura del primo Programma per l’Istruzione (2011-2016), il livello di istruzione di molte scuole delle isole BES non soddisfaceva gli standard europei né quelli dell’Olanda Caraibica. (5) Nel 2016, la maggior parte delle scuole ha raggiunto gli standard di qualità base. Tuttavia, alcune aree richiedevano ancora miglioramenti, che sono stati affrontati nel secondo Programma (2017-2020). (6) La valutazione di questo Programma nel 2020 mostra che le sfide principali sono l’assistenza agli studenti con bisogni speciali e il multilinguismo. (7)

Il terzo Programma per l’Istruzione, che non è ancora stata pubblicata, affronterà queste sfide. (8) Inoltre, questo Programma affronterà le sfide di ciascuna isola separatamente, dimostrando un ulteriore impegno nella definizione di politiche specifiche per il contesto, che si spera migliori l’efficacia del terzo Programma per l’Istruzione.

 

Educational Challenge I: Assistenza agli studenti con bisogni speciali

La prima sfida da discutere è l’assistenza agli studenti con bisogni speciali. Il diritto all’istruzione per i bambini con bisogni speciali è un diritto umano. È sancito nella Dichiarazione Universale dei Diritti Umani, dalla Convenzione dei Diritti dei Bambini e dalla Convenzione sui Diritti delle Persone con Disabilità. Quest’ultima Convenzione è stata ratificata dei Paesi Bassi Europei, ma non si applica ai Paesi Bassi Caraibici.

Una dichiarazione dei Centro di Competenza Education Cara Saba del 2021 riassume l’importanza dell’assistenza a questi studenti: “Gli studenti hanno il diritto di sentirsi incluso in un ambiente sicuro e affidabile, con un clima pedagogico strutturato che sia tollerante e incoraggiante per lo sviluppo di tutti”. (9) Attualmente, i bambini con i bisogni speciali si trovano ancora ad affrontare situazioni in cui l’istruzione come i loro coetanei o che finiscono per abbandonarla. Alcuni bambini non hanno affatto accesso all’istruzione. I bambini con un maggiore bisogni di assistenza incontrano difficoltà. (10)

Un esempio di assistenza inadeguata è il caso di Arianny, una bambina di dieci anni di Bonaire. Nel 2022, la bambina non parlante è stata al centro delle cronache per l’impossibilità di frequentare l’istruzione a Bonaire. Arianny non aveva accesso. I membri del parlamento olandese chiesero all’allora ministro dell’Istruzione, Dennis Wiersma, domande sulla sua situazione e su quella generale di Bonaire. Il ministro rispose che tutti i bambini dovrebbero avere accesso all’istruzione e sono tenuti a frequentare la scuola, nonostante le situazioni specifiche. La situazione di Arianny e le ricerche in altri rapporti ci mostrano che questa non è ancora la realtà. (11)

Perché questi problemi continuano anche dopo le due Agende per l’istruzione?

L’assistenza agli studenti nelle isole BES non è paragonabile a quella dei Paesi Bassi europei. Sebbene entrambe sperimentino problemi simili, il centro di esperti di Saba osserva che la differenza principale deriva dalle dimensioni e dalla cultura scolastica, ad esempio la mancanza di consapevolezza delle diverse esigenze degli studenti. Questo vale anche per le altre isole: i bambini con bisogni speciali continuano a seguire lo stesso programma dei loro coetanei anche se hanno bisogno di cure aggiuntive. Inoltre, gli studenti con esigenze speciali sono relativamente più numerosi a Saba che nei Paesi Bassi europei. Le possibili spiegazioni sono la mancanza di pianificazione educativa, di differenziazione in classe e di insegnanti con esigenze educative speciali. (12) Inoltre, cause non legate alla scuola influiscono sulle capacità di apprendimento dei bambini, come la povertà e la violenza domestica. (13)

Questa continua mancanza di assistenza agli studenti con bisogni speciali richiede quindi un impegno supplementare. È necessaria una rinnovata attenzione a questo problema e politiche che lo affrontino, garantendo l’accesso all’istruzione per i bambini come Arianny. Le esigenze individuali devono essere prese in considerazione per ottimizzare l’esperienza di apprendimento di studenti già vulnerabili.

 

Educational Challenge II: Il Multilinguismo

A causa delle diverse lingue parlate su ogni isola, la lingua dell’istruzione è stata una questione spinosa. Le sfide incontrate sono state l’imperialismo linguistico, le difficoltà di apprendimento e la difficoltà di accesso all’istruzione terziaria in olandese.

A Bonaire, la maggior parte degli abitanti parla il papiamento come lingua madre. A Saba e St. Eustasius, una varietà locale di inglese caraibico ha il sopravvento. Nonostante ciò, l’olandese era l’unica lingua ufficialmente riconosciuta fino all’inizio del secolo e quindi l’istruzione era in olandese. (14) Oggi, il papiamento e l’inglese possono essere utilizzati entrambi nell’istruzione. Questo rappresenta la realtà delle isole e il rispetto per le lingue locali, il che lo rende uno sviluppo lodevole e un allontanamento dall’imperialismo linguistico.

Tuttavia, ciò comporta anche nuove sfide educative, soprattutto per quanto riguarda i risultati dell’apprendimento e la formazione continua. A Saba e St. Eustatius, la lingua di insegnamento è l’inglese. L’olandese viene insegnato come lingua straniera. (15) A Sant’Eustachio si è passati all’inglese come lingua d’insegnamento nell’istruzione secondaria nel 2014. L’olandese ha dimostrato di influire negativamente sui risultati dell’apprendimento e sull’atteggiamento nei confronti della lingua olandese. (16) Saba ha utilizzato l’inglese come lingua di insegnamento per un periodo più lungo. Tuttavia, l’insegnamento dell’olandese solo come lingua straniera ostacola l’accesso all’istruzione terziaria. Una bassa conoscenza dell’olandese significa che gli studenti di queste isole non possono accedere a (tutti) gli istituti di istruzione terziaria dei Paesi Bassi europei.https://brokenchalk.org/educational-challenges-in-the-caribean-netherlands/ (17)  Questo è particolarmente problematico perché i Paesi Bassi caraibici non hanno università o università di scienze applicate, il che significa che gli abitanti devono spostarsi per perseguire l’istruzione terziaria. (18)  

A Bonaire, l’istruzione inizia in Papiamento – la lingua madre della maggior parte degli studenti – per i primi due anni della scuola primaria. Dopo questi anni, la lingua di insegnamento diventa l’olandese. Questo comporta dei rischi, come ha dimostrato il caso di Sant’Eustazio prima del 2014. Inoltre, può ostacolare i risultati dell’apprendimento, poiché i bambini potrebbero avere difficoltà con l’olandese.https://brokenchalk.org/educational-challenges-in-the-caribean-netherlands/ (19)

Pertanto, il multilinguismo comporta sfide specifiche per gli studenti per quanto riguarda l’accesso all’istruzione superiore e i risultati di apprendimento. È stato difficile trovare un equilibrio tra l’olandese, il papiamento e l’inglese caraibico per affrontare queste sfide. È necessario sviluppare una politica linguistica globale per ogni isola, in cui le lingue native e l’olandese ottengano un posto equilibrato all’interno del sistema educativo.

 

Educational Challenge III: La Povertà

Questa terza sfida educativa va al di là delle agende educative, poiché si intreccia con la situazione generale delle isole BES: la vita sulle isole è diventata sempre più costosa, e gli stipendi e il sostegno del governo non sono sufficienti a permetterla.

Per questo motivo, nel 2021 i bambini delle isole BES hanno indicato la povertà come una delle maggiori sfide della loro vita. Da allora i livelli di povertà sono rimasti elevati: 11.000 persone vivono sotto la soglia di povertà nel 2023. Si tratta di un numero estremamente elevato, considerando che la popolazione totale delle isole è di 30.000 persone. (20)  In confronto ai Paesi Bassi europei: 800.000 persone vivono in povertà su una popolazione di quasi 18 milioni. (21)

Cosa significano questi numeri per gli studenti caraibici?

Il rapporto tra l’Ombudsman olandese e l’Ombudsman dei bambini ci offre l’angosciante esempio di Shanice, una bambina di 11 anni di Bonaire. Sua madre è una badante single, che fa diversi lavori per rimanere a galla. È più spesso al lavoro che a casa. Shanice si prende cura dei suoi fratelli e sorelle più piccoli, si occupa della spesa e lava i piatti, invece di avere la possibilità di concentrarsi sugli studi. Va a scuola: le piace. Tuttavia, spesso si sente stressata a causa delle numerose responsabilità. Non riesce quindi a concentrarsi e a imparare. Allo stesso tempo, Shanice fa pressione su se stessa per imparare: vuole avere una vita diversa da quella di sua madre. (22)

Questo esempio mostra come la povertà dia ai bambini molte responsabilità e influisca negativamente sul loro apprendimento. Questo esempio non comprende tutti gli effetti negativi. Quando non si hanno abbastanza soldi, il cibo sano non è sempre una priorità, così come i libri di scuola o un buon posto per studiare. Le spese scolastiche extra potrebbero non essere pagate. Sia i genitori che i figli sono sottoposti a livelli di stress elevati, che possono portare i genitori a non essere disponibili (emotivamente) e i figli ad avere problemi di concentrazione. Tutto ciò influisce negativamente sui risultati scolastici dei bambini. (23)

Per affrontare il problema della povertà e i suoi effetti, è necessario un sostegno governativo per sollevare i bambini e i loro genitori dalla povertà. Tuttavia, le politiche governative sono una delle cause della povertà: il modello del costo della vita per l’isola BES presenta il costo della vita come più basso di quanto non sia. Le politiche vengono sviluppate sulla base di questo modello. Inoltre, questo è un argomento ricorrente per non aumentare il benessere sociale: garantire il benessere sociale demotiva le persone, che non lavoreranno più. (24) Quindi, le politiche hanno contribuito al problema della povertà.

Inoltre, gli abitanti delle isole BES non sempre hanno accesso alle stesse risorse di cui dispongono gli olandesi europei. Queste risorse sono tuttavia di grande importanza: Gli olandesi europei ne dipendono, ma gli olandesi dei Caraibi non possono nemmeno accedervi. (25) Ciò è possibile grazie allo status speciale delle isole. Il Comitato delle Nazioni Unite per l’eliminazione della discriminazione razziale ha osservato nel 2021 che tali differenze tra i Paesi Bassi europei e i Paesi Bassi caraibici sono deplorevoli, che la discriminazione dovrebbe essere combattuta e che l’uguaglianza dovrebbe essere perseguita.

Il governo olandese ha preso provvedimenti. Per i Paesi Bassi caraibici entrerà in vigore una legge che garantisce la parità di trattamento di tutti i cittadini nei Paesi Bassi. (26) La data esatta, tuttavia, non è chiara. Inoltre, il modello del costo della vita sarà adeguato nel luglio 2024. A partire da quella data, gli abitanti dei Paesi Bassi caraibici potranno colmare il divario tra la sicurezza sociale e il costo della vita che esiste attualmente. Inoltre, il governo olandese intraprende altri sforzi per affrontare la povertà, ma l’Istituto olandese per i diritti umani li giudica insufficienti. (27)

Il governo olandese sembra assumersi sempre più la responsabilità degli alti livelli di povertà nei Paesi Bassi caraibici. Uno sviluppo necessario: nonostante dichiarazioni come “Ogni studente conta!”, il governo olandese ha discriminato i cittadini caraibici olandesi. Il trattamento sfavorevole che subiscono li pone in ritardo rispetto ai loro concittadini europei.

 

Conclusione

La qualità dell’istruzione è aumentata in modo significativo nelle isole di Bonaire, St. Eustatius e Saba. Sono stati compiuti grandi sforzi per adattare le politiche ai contesti locali delle isole, il che è essenziale per l’equità dell’istruzione tra i Paesi Bassi europei e caraibici. Questo è lodevole e si spera che continui con la terza Agenda per l’istruzione.

Tuttavia, persistono grandi sfide educative nelle isole. I benefici e l’accesso all’istruzione sono sotto pressione. Mentre il multilinguismo riguarda tutti gli studenti, la povertà e la mancanza di cure speciali colpiscono alcuni studenti in modo sproporzionato. Inoltre, il problema della povertà e la mancanza di cure speciali mostrano chiari segni di discriminazione, che dovrebbero essere condannati e fermati. Il caso delle isole di Bonaire, St. Eustatius e Saba indica quindi la necessità di politiche che affrontino la discriminazione e di un piano globale per migliorare ulteriormente l’istruzione.

 


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[xix] Kloosterboer, Karin. (2013). Kind op Bonaire, St. Eustatius en Saba. UNICEF. 15. https://content.presspage.com/uploads/688/samenvattingkindopbeslowres.pdf

[xx] NOS. (2023). Derde van Caribisch Nederland onder armoedegrens, pleidooi voor hoger minimumloon. NOS

https://nos.nl/artikel/2493122-derde-van-caribisch-nederland-onder-armoedegrens-pleidooi-voor-hoger-minimumloon

[xxi] Den Hartog, Tobias and Laurens Kok. (2023). Op weg naar 1 miljoen armen: bij dit inkomen leef je volgens de overheid in armoede. Het Parool.

https://www.parool.nl/nederland/op-weg-naar-1-miljoen-armen-bij-dit-inkomen-leef-je-volgens-de-overheid-in-armoede~b9c9b7ed/

[xxii] Kinderombudsman, and Nationale Ombudsman. (2023). Caribische kinderen van de rekening. Kinderombudsman. 4. https://www.nationaleombudsman.nl/publicaties/rapporten/2022058#:~:text=Dit%20rapport%20beschrijft%20de%20knelpunten,zelf%20als%20voor%20hun%20kinderen.

[xxiii] Nederlands Jeugdinstituut. (N.d). De invloed van armoede op schoolprestaties. Nederlands Jeugdinstituut. https://www.nji.nl/armoede/invloed-op-schoolprestaties

[xxiv] Haringsma, Phaedra. (2022). Zo wordt ongelijkheid tussen Europees en Caribisch Nederland al jaren in stand gehouden. De Correspondent. https://decorrespondent.nl/13713/zo-wordt-ongelijkheid-tussen-europees-en-caribisch-nederland-al-jaren-in-stand-gehouden/2f84b44f-db88-0d7c-029d-9c1d00ae02b3

[xxvi] Netherlands Institute for Human Rights. (2023). Caribisch Nederland krijgt wetgeving gelijke behandeling. College voor de Rechten van de Mens. https://www.mensenrechten.nl/actueel/nieuws/2023/01/25/caribisch-nederland-krijgt-wetgeving-gelijke-behandeling#:~:text=Iedereen%20die%20zich%20in%20Nederland,2010%20bijzondere%20gemeentes%20van%20Nederland

[xxvii] Netherlands Institute for Human Rights. (2023). Report to UN Committee on economic, social and cultural human rights in the Netherlands. College voor de Rechten van de Mens. 4-6. https://publicaties.mensenrechten.nl/file/5803a853-0bbe-b495-7932-3bb751e0aed4.pdf

EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES IN THE CARRIBEAN NETHERLANDS

BY Sterre Krijnen

Every student counts! In 2011, this slogan was the starting shot of the Caribbean and European Netherlands’ combined efforts to achieve educational equity and raise the quality of education on the islands of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. Although quality and equity increased, the Caribbean Netherlands still dealt with significant educational challenges in 2023. This article will explore three main challenges: the care for students with special needs, multilingualism, and the effects of poverty.

This article analyses these three challenges to understand the accessibility and quality of education in the Caribbean Netherlands. But first, we need to go into the governance structure of the islands and their relationship with the European Netherlands to fully understand the barriers to tackling the challenges and efforts to address them. Also, the policy programs addressing education and the Education Agendas will be given special attention to show continuing good practices and to explain the context in which the current challenges continue.

Context-Specific Efforts to Overcome Education Inequity

In 1948, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba became a part of the Dutch Antilles, a separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This changed in 2010: the islands became public bodies under the European Netherlands. Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba are now local governments. An executive council, an island council, and the Dutch national government govern each island. Since this change, the islands have been referred to as the Caribbean Netherlands or the BES-islands.[i]

The Dutch Ministry for Education, Culture and Science is responsible for education. The schools on the islands are part of the Dutch education system and are monitored by the Netherlands’ Inspectorate of Education.[ii] The Dutch Ministry of Education, island councils and other stakeholders cooperated over the past twelve years to develop three policy programs, the Education Agendas.

The Education Agendas address educational equity between the two parts of the Netherlands. The idea is that it should not matter whether a child grows up in the European Netherlands or the Caribbean Netherlands; educational opportunities should be the same.[iii] The agendas address the specific context of the islands, as there are apparent differences from the European Netherlands in terms of culture, history, identity, language, scale, and organization.[iv]

The first two agendas address all three islands within one agenda. During the draft of the first Education Agenda (2011-2016), the level of education of many schools on the BES islands did not fulfil European nor Caribbean Dutch standards.[v] By 2016, most schools reached basic quality standards. However, particular areas still required improvement, again addressed in the second Agenda (2017-2020). [vi] The evaluation of this Agenda in 2020 shows that the main challenges are care for students with special needs and multilingualism.[vii]

While the third Education Agenda has not yet been published, it shall address these challenges.[viii] Furthermore, this agenda will address the challenges on each island separately, showing us a further commitment to context-specific policymaking, which hopefully improves the effectiveness of the third Education Agenda.

Educational Challenge I: Care for Students with Special Needs

The first challenge to discuss is the care for students with special needs. The right to education for children with special needs is a human right. It is taken up in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. While the last Convention was ratified by the European Netherlands, it does not apply to the Caribbean Netherlands.

A statement by the Expertise Centre Education Care Saba in 2021 summarizes the importance of care for these students:  “Students have the right to feel included in a safe and reliable environment with a structured pedagogical climate that is tolerant and encouraging for the development of all”.[ix] Now, children with special needs still face situations in which education is not tailored to them, meaning they do not profit from education as their peers or eventually drop out. Some children do not have access to education at all. Children with a higher need for care face difficulties.[x]

An example of inadequate care is the case of the ten-year-old Arianny on Bonaire. In 2022, the non-speaking girl was in the news as she could not attend education on Bonaire. Arianny had no access. Members of the Dutch parliament asked the then minister of Education, Dennis Wiersma, questions about her situation and the general situation on Bonaire. The minister reacted that all children should have access to education and are required to attend school, despite specific situations. The situation of Arianny and the research in other reports show us that is not yet the reality.[xi]

Why do these problems continue even after the two Education Agendas?

Student care on the BES islands is not comparable to care in the European Netherlands. While both experience similar problems, the expert centre on Saba notes that the main difference derives from scale and school culture, for example, the lack of awareness about the differing needs of students. This also applies to the other islands: children with special needs continue to follow the same program as their peers even though they need additional care. Moreover, there are relatively more students with special needs in Saba than in the European Netherlands. Possible explanations are a lack of education planning, differentiation in the classroom and special education needs teachers.[xii] Also, non-school-related causes affect children’s learning capabilities, such as poverty and domestic violence.[xiii]

This continuing lack of care for students with special needs thus asks for extra efforts. Renewed attention to this problem and policies need to tackle the problem, ensuring (continuance of) access to education for children like Arianny. Individual needs must be considered to optimize the learning experience of already vulnerable students.

 

Educational Challenge II: Multilingualism

Because of the different languages being spoken on each island, the language of education has been a thorny issue. Encountered challenges have been linguistic imperialism, learning challenges, and difficulty accessing tertiary education in Dutch.

On Bonaire, most inhabitants speak Papiamento as their mother tongue. On Saba and St. Eustasius, a local variety of Caribbean English has the upper hand. Despite this, Dutch was the only officially recognized language until the beginning of the century thus, education was in Dutch.[xiv]Nowadays, Papiamento and English can both be used in education. This represents the reality of the islands and a respect for local languages, making it a laudable development and a move away from linguistic imperialism.

However, it also causes new educational challenges, especially for learning results and further education. On Saba and St. Eustatius, the instruction language is English. Dutch is being taught as a foreign language.[xv] St. Eustatius switched to English as an instruction language in secondary education in 2014. Dutch proved to negatively affect learning outcomes and attitudes towards the Dutch language.[xvi] Saba has used English as the instruction language for a more extended period. However, only teaching Dutch as a foreign language hinders access to tertiary education. A low proficiency in Dutch means that students from these islands cannot access (all) tertiary education institutions in the European Netherlands.[xvii] This is especially problematic because the Caribbean Netherlands does not have any universities or universities of applied sciences, meaning inhabitants must move to pursue tertiary education.[xviii]

On Bonaire, education starts in Papiamento  – the native language of most students  – for the first two years of primary school. After these years, the instruction language became Dutch. This causes risks, as the case of St. Eustatius before 2014 showed. Furthermore, it can hinder learning outcomes as children might struggle with Dutch.[xix]

Therefore, multilingualism leads to specific challenges for students regarding access to further education and learning outcomes. It has been difficult to find a balance between Dutch, Papiamento, and Caribbean English that will tackle these challenges. A comprehensive language policy should be developed per island, where native languages and Dutch get a well-balanced place within the education system.

Educational Challenge III: Poverty

This third educational challenge goes beyond the education agendas as it intertwines with the overall situation on the BES islands: life on the islands has become increasingly expensive, and salaries and government support are insufficient to afford this.

This is why children on the BES islands noted poverty as one of the biggest challenges in their lives in 2021. And high poverty levels have continued since then: 11,000 people live below the poverty line in 2023. This is an extremely high number, considering that the islands’ total population is 30,000.[xx] In comparison to the European Netherlands: 800,000 live in poverty on a population of almost 18 million.[xxi]

What do such numbers mean for Caribbean students?

The rapport between the Dutch Ombudsman and the Children’s Ombudsman gives us the distressing example of Shanice, an 11-year-old Bonairean girl. Her mother is a single caretaker, working multiple jobs to stay afloat. She is more often at work than at home. Shanice cares for her younger brothers and sisters, looks after the groceries, and wash dishes instead of having the opportunity to focus on her studies. She goes to school: she likes it there. However, she often feels stressed because of her many responsibilities. Then, she cannot focus or learn. At the same time, Shanice pressures herself to learn: she wants to have a different life than her mom.[xxii]

This example shows how poverty gives children many responsibilities and negatively affects their learning. This example does not comprise all adverse effects. When not having enough money, healthy food is not always a priority, just like schoolbooks or having a good place to study. Extra school costs might not be paid. Parents and kids both experience high-stress levels, which might cause parents to be (emotionally) unavailable and children to have problems focusing. All negatively affect the school outcomes of children.[xxiii]

To tackle this problem of poverty and its effects, there should be governmental support to lift children and their parents from poverty. However, government policies are one of the causes of poverty: the model of living costs for the BES island presents living costs as lower than they are. Policies are developed based on this model. Moreover, this is a recurring argument for not higher social welfare: ensuring social welfare will demotivate people, and they will not work anymore.[xxiv] Hence, policies have contributed to the problem of poverty.

In addition, inhabitants of the BES islands do not always have access to the same resources European Dutch individuals have. These resources are, however, of great importance: European Dutch depend on them, but Caribbean Dutch cannot even access them.[xxv] This is possible because of the special status of the islands. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination noted in 2021 that such differences between the European Netherlands and Caribbean Netherlands are deplorable, that discrimination should be fought, and that equality should be pursued.

The Dutch government has been taking steps. A law ensuring the equal treatment of all citizens in the Netherlands will come into effect for the Caribbean Netherlands.[xxvi] The exact date is, however, unclear. Furthermore, the model of living costs will be adjusted in July 2024. From that date onwards, inhabitants of the Caribbean Netherlands will be able to breach the gap between social security and living costs that exists now. In addition, the Dutch government does undertake other efforts to address poverty, but the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights judges them to be insufficient. [xxvii]

The Dutch government seems to increasingly take responsibility for the high poverty levels in the Caribbean Netherlands. A necessary development: despite statements such as ‘Every student counts!’, the Dutch government has discriminated against Caribbean Dutch citizens. The unfavourable treatment they experience puts them behind their fellow citizens in Europe.

Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash

Conclusion

Education quality has increased significantly on the Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba islands. Great efforts have been made to tailor policies to the local contexts of the islands, which is essential for education equity between the European and Caribbean Netherlands. This is praiseworthy and will hopefully continue with the third Education Agenda.

However, great educational challenges persist on the islands. Benefits from and access to education are under pressure.  While multilingualism affects all students, poverty and the lack of special care affect some students disproportionately. Furthermore, the problem of poverty and lack of special care show clear signs of discrimination, which should be condemned and stopped. The case of the islands of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba thus indicates the need for policies tackling discrimination and a comprehensive plan to improve education further.


References

[i] Rijksoverheid. (N.d). Caribisch deel van het Koninkrijk. Rijksoverheid. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/caribische-deel-van-het-koninkrijk/rechtspositie-politieke-ambtsdragers-bonaire-sint-eustatius-saba

[ii] Rijksoverheid. (N.d.). Caribisch deel van het Koninkrijk. Rijksoverheid.

[iii] Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland. (N.d). Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap. Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland. https://www.rijksdienstcn.com/onderwijs-cultuur-wetenschap

[iv] Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland. (N.d). Onderwijsagenda voor Caribisch Nederland: samen werken aan kwaliteit. Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland. 1. https://www.rijksdienstcn.com/binaries/rijksdienstcn-nederlands/documenten/brochures/onderwijs-cultuur/onderwijsagendas/eerste-onderwijsagenda-caribisch-nederland/index/Eerste_Onderwijsagenda_NL.pdf

[v] Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland. (N.d). Onderwijsagenda voor Caribisch Nederland: samen werken aan kwaliteit. 1.

[vi] Inspectie van het Onderwijs. (2017). De Ontwikkeling van het Onderwijs in Caribisch Nederland 2014-2016. Onderwijsinspectie. 39-41. https://www.onderwijsinspectie.nl/documenten/rapporten/2017/03/21/rapport-onderwijsontwikkelingen-caribisch-nederland-20142016

[vii] Buys, Marga. (2021). Evaluatie Tweede Onderwijsagenda Caribisch Nederland 2017-2020. Eerste Kamer. 20. https://www.eerstekamer.nl/overig/20210708/evaluatie_tweede_onderwijsagenda/document3/f=/vlkch545eltd_opgemaakt.

[viii] Buys, Marga. (2021). Evaluatie Tweede Onderwijsagenda Caribisch Nederland 2017-2020. Eerste Kamer. 22.

[ix]. Langerak, Lisa. (2021). Inclusive Special Education on Saba. Expertise Center Education Care. 2. https://www.learningsaba.com/2021_Care_Coordinator/210614%20Project%20plan%20Inclusive%20Special%20Education%20Saba.pdf

[x] Buys, Marga. (2021). Evaluatie Tweede Onderwijsagenda Caribisch Nederland 2017-2020. Eerste Kamer. 20.

[xi] Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap. (2022). Antwoord op schriftelijke vragen van de leden Van den Berg en Peters (beiden CDA) over het bericht ‘Moeder vraagt om hulp: 10-jarige Arianny kan op Bonaire niet naar school. Open Overheid. 2-3. https://open.overheid.nl/documenten/ronl-b6d4ce01be3eac9fe87130ee6b9b0f08d72e664e/pdf

[xii] Langerak, Lisa. (2021). Inclusive Special Education on Saba. Expertise Center Education Care. 5.

[xiii] Kinderombudsman. (2021). Als je het ons vraagt: kinderen op de BES-eilanden. Kinderombudsman. 10-11. https://www.kinderombudsman.nl/publicaties/rapport-als-je-het-ons-vraagt-onderzoek-kinderen-op-de-bes

[xiv] Mijts, Eric, Ellen-Petra Kester and Nicholas Faraclas. (2014). Multilingualism and education in the Caribbean Netherlands. A community-based approach to a sustainable language education policy. The case study of St. Eustatius. NT2. 2. https://www.nt2.nl/documenten/meertaligheid_en_onderwijs/kambel_meertaligheid_binnenwerk_eng_h5.pdf

[xv] Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland. (N.d). Taal in het Onderwijs. Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland. https://www.rijksdienstcn.com/onderwijs-cultuur-wetenschap/ouders-leerlingen/taal-in-het-onderwijs

[xvi] Polak, Anneke. (2014). Engels als instructietaal ‘ingrijpend’. Caribisch Netwerk. https://caribischnetwerk.ntr.nl/2014/06/19/engels-als-instructietaal-statia-ingrijpend/

[xvii] Buys, Marga. (2021). Evaluatie Tweede Onderwijsagenda Caribisch Nederland 2017-2020. Eerste Kamer. 20.

[xviii] Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland. (N.d). Higher Education and Science. Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland. https://english.rijksdienstcn.com/education-culture-science/higher-education-and-science

[xix] Kloosterboer, Karin. (2013). Kind op Bonaire, St. Eustatius en Saba. UNICEF. 15. https://content.presspage.com/uploads/688/samenvattingkindopbeslowres.pdf

[xx] NOS. (2023). Derde van Caribisch Nederland onder armoedegrens, pleidooi voor hoger minimumloon. NOS

https://nos.nl/artikel/2493122-derde-van-caribisch-nederland-onder-armoedegrens-pleidooi-voor-hoger-minimumloon

[xxi] Den Hartog, Tobias and Laurens Kok. (2023). Op weg naar 1 miljoen armen: bij dit inkomen leef je volgens de overheid in armoede. Het Parool.

https://www.parool.nl/nederland/op-weg-naar-1-miljoen-armen-bij-dit-inkomen-leef-je-volgens-de-overheid-in-armoede~b9c9b7ed/

[xxii] Kinderombudsman, and Nationale Ombudsman. (2023). Caribische kinderen van de rekening. Kinderombudsman. 4. https://www.nationaleombudsman.nl/publicaties/rapporten/2022058#:~:text=Dit%20rapport%20beschrijft%20de%20knelpunten,zelf%20als%20voor%20hun%20kinderen.

[xxiii] Nederlands Jeugdinstituut. (N.d). De invloed van armoede op schoolprestaties. Nederlands Jeugdinstituut. https://www.nji.nl/armoede/invloed-op-schoolprestaties

[xxiv] Haringsma, Phaedra. (2022). Zo wordt ongelijkheid tussen Europees en Caribisch Nederland al jaren in stand gehouden. De Correspondent. https://decorrespondent.nl/13713/zo-wordt-ongelijkheid-tussen-europees-en-caribisch-nederland-al-jaren-in-stand-gehouden/2f84b44f-db88-0d7c-029d-9c1d00ae02b3

 

[xxvi] Netherlands Institute for Human Rights. (2023). Caribisch Nederland krijgt wetgeving gelijke behandeling. College voor de Rechten van de Mens. https://www.mensenrechten.nl/actueel/nieuws/2023/01/25/caribisch-nederland-krijgt-wetgeving-gelijke-behandeling#:~:text=Iedereen%20die%20zich%20in%20Nederland,2010%20bijzondere%20gemeentes%20van%20Nederland

[xxvii] Netherlands Institute for Human Rights. (2023). Report to UN Committee on economic, social and cultural human rights in the Netherlands. College voor de Rechten van de Mens. 4-6. https://publicaties.mensenrechten.nl/file/5803a853-0bbe-b495-7932-3bb751e0aed4.pdf

Educational Challenges in the Caribean Netherlands

Written by Sterre Krunen

Every student counts! In 2011, this slogan was the starting shot of the Caribbean and European Netherlands’ combined efforts to achieve educational equity and raise the quality of education on the islands of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. Although quality and equity increased, the Caribbean Netherlands still dealt with significant educational challenges in 2023. This article will explore three main challenges: the care for students with special needs, multilingualism, and the effects of poverty.

This article analyses these three challenges to understand the accessibility and quality of education in the Caribbean Netherlands. But first, we need to go into the governance structure of the islands and their relationship with the European Netherlands to fully understand the barriers to tackling the challenges and efforts to address them. Also, the policy programs addressing education and the Education Agendas will be given special attention to show continuing good practices and to explain the context in which the current challenges continue.

This map shows us the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of the European Netherlands and the Caribbean Netherlands. Both thank their name to their geographical location (CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED, Wikimedia Commons: TUBS).

Context-Specific Efforts to Overcome Education Inequity

In 1948, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba became a part of the Dutch Antilles, a separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This changed in 2010: the islands became public bodies under the European Netherlands. Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba are now local governments. An executive council, an island council, and the Dutch national government govern each island. Since this change, the islands have been referred to as the Caribbean Netherlands or the BES-islands.[i]

The Dutch Ministry for Education, Culture and Science is responsible for education. The schools on the islands are part of the Dutch education system and are monitored by the Netherlands’ Inspectorate of Education.[ii] The Dutch Ministry of Education, island councils and other stakeholders cooperated over the past twelve years to develop three policy programs, the Education Agendas.

The Education Agendas address educational equity between the two parts of the Netherlands. The idea is that it should not matter whether a child grows up in the European Netherlands or the Caribbean Netherlands; educational opportunities should be the same.[iii] The agendas address the specific context of the islands, as there are apparent differences from the European Netherlands in terms of culture, history, identity, language, scale, and organization.[iv]

The first two agendas address all three islands within one agenda. During the draft of the first Education Agenda (2011-2016), the level of education of many schools on the BES islands did not fulfil European nor Caribbean Dutch standards.[v] By 2016, most schools reached basic quality standards. However, particular areas still required improvement, again addressed in the second Agenda (2017-2020). [vi] The evaluation of this Agenda in 2020 shows that the main challenges are care for students with special needs and multilingualism.[vii]

While the third Education Agenda has not yet been published, it shall address these challenges.[viii] Furthermore, this agenda will address the challenges on each island separately, showing us a further commitment to context-specific policymaking, which hopefully improves the effectiveness of the third Education Agenda.

Educational Challenge I: Care for Students with Special Needs

The first challenge to discuss is the care for students with special needs. The right to education for children with special needs is a human right. It is taken up in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. While the last Convention was ratified by the European Netherlands, it does not apply to the Caribbean Netherlands.

A statement by the Expertise Centre Education Care Saba in 2021 summarizes the importance of care for these students:  “Students have the right to feel included in a safe and reliable environment with a structured pedagogical climate that is tolerant and encouraging for the development of all”.[ix] Now, children with special needs still face situations in which education is not tailored to them, meaning they do not profit from education as their peers or eventually drop out. Some children do not have access to education at all. Children with a higher need for care face difficulties.[x]

An example of inadequate care is the case of the ten-year-old Arianny on Bonaire. In 2022, the non-speaking girl was in the news as she could not attend education on Bonaire. Arianny had no access. Members of the Dutch parliament asked the then minister of Education, Dennis Wiersma, questions about her situation and the general situation on Bonaire. The minister reacted that all children should have access to education and are required to attend school, despite specific situations. The situation of Arianny and the research in other reports show us that is not yet the reality.[xi]

Why do these problems continue even after the two Education Agendas?

Student care on the BES islands is not comparable to care in the European Netherlands. While both experience similar problems, the expert centre on Saba notes that the main difference derives from scale and school culture, for example, the lack of awareness about the differing needs of students. This also applies to the other islands: children with special needs continue to follow the same program as their peers even though they need additional care. Moreover, there are relatively more students with special needs in Saba than in the European Netherlands. Possible explanations are a lack of education planning, differentiation in the classroom and special education needs teachers.[xii] Also, non-school-related causes affect children’s learning capabilities, such as poverty and domestic violence.[xiii]

This continuing lack of care for students with special needs thus asks for extra efforts. Renewed attention to this problem and policies need to tackle the problem, ensuring (continuance of) access to education for children like Arianny. Individual needs must be considered to optimize the learning experience of already vulnerable students.

Three kids sitting in the port of Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire (CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED, Flickr: Globewriter).

Educational Challenge II: Multilingualism

Because of the different languages being spoken on each island, the language of education has been a thorny issue. Encountered challenges have been linguistic imperialism, learning challenges, and difficulty accessing tertiary education in Dutch.

On Bonaire, most inhabitants speak Papiamento as their mother tongue. On Saba and St. Eustasius, a local variety of Caribbean English has the upper hand. Despite this, Dutch was the only officially recognized language until the beginning of the century thus, education was in Dutch.[xiv]Nowadays, Papiamento and English can both be used in education. This represents the reality of the islands and a respect for local languages, making it a laudable development and a move away from linguistic imperialism.

However, it also causes new educational challenges, especially for learning results and further education. On Saba and St. Eustatius, the instruction language is English. Dutch is being taught as a foreign language.[xv] St. Eustatius switched to English as an instruction language in secondary education in 2014. Dutch proved to negatively affect learning outcomes and attitudes towards the Dutch language.[xvi] Saba has used English as the instruction language for a more extended period. However, only teaching Dutch as a foreign language hinders access to tertiary education. A low proficiency in Dutch means that students from these islands cannot access (all) tertiary education institutions in the European Netherlands.[xvii] This is especially problematic because the Caribbean Netherlands does not have any universities or universities of applied sciences, meaning inhabitants must move to pursue tertiary education.[xviii]

On Bonaire, education starts in Papiamento  – the native language of most students  – for the first two years of primary school. After these years, the instruction language became Dutch. This causes risks, as the case of St. Eustatius before 2014 showed. Furthermore, it can hinder learning outcomes as children might struggle with Dutch.[xix]

Therefore, multilingualism leads to specific challenges for students regarding access to further education and learning outcomes. It has been difficult to find a balance between Dutch, Papiamento, and Caribbean English that will tackle these challenges. A comprehensive language policy should be developed per island, where native languages and Dutch get a well-balanced place within the education system.

Educational Challenge III: Poverty

This third educational challenge goes beyond the education agendas as it intertwines with the overall situation on the BES islands: life on the islands has become increasingly expensive, and salaries and government support are insufficient to afford this.

This is why children on the BES islands noted poverty as one of the biggest challenges in their lives in 2021. And high poverty levels have continued since then: 11,000 people live below the poverty line in 2023. This is an extremely high number, considering that the islands’ total population is 30,000.[xx] In comparison to the European Netherlands: 800,000 live in poverty on a population of almost 18 million.[xxi]

What do such numbers mean for Caribbean students?

The rapport between the Dutch Ombudsman and the Children’s Ombudsman gives us the distressing example of Shanice, an 11-year-old Bonairean girl. Her mother is a single caretaker, working multiple jobs to stay afloat. She is more often at work than at home. Shanice cares for her younger brothers and sisters, looks after the groceries, and wash dishes instead of having the opportunity to focus on her studies. She goes to school: she likes it there. However, she often feels stressed because of her many responsibilities. Then, she cannot focus or learn. At the same time, Shanice pressures herself to learn: she wants to have a different life than her mom.[xxii]

This example shows how poverty gives children many responsibilities and negatively affects their learning. This example does not comprise all adverse effects. When not having enough money, healthy food is not always a priority, just like schoolbooks or having a good place to study. Extra school costs might not be paid. Parents and kids both experience high-stress levels, which might cause parents to be (emotionally) unavailable and children to have problems focusing. All negatively affect the school outcomes of children.[xxiii]

To tackle this problem of poverty and its effects, there should be governmental support to lift children and their parents from poverty. However, government policies are one of the causes of poverty: the model of living costs for the BES island presents living costs as lower than they are. Policies are developed based on this model. Moreover, this is a recurring argument for not higher social welfare: ensuring social welfare will demotivate people, and they will not work anymore.[xxiv] Hence, policies have contributed to the problem of poverty.

In addition, inhabitants of the BES islands do not always have access to the same resources European Dutch individuals have. These resources are, however, of great importance: European Dutch depend on them, but Caribbean Dutch cannot even access them.[xxv] This is possible because of the special status of the islands. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination noted in 2021 that such differences between the European Netherlands and Caribbean Netherlands are deplorable, that discrimination should be fought, and that equality should be pursued.

The Dutch government has been taking steps. A law ensuring the equal treatment of all citizens in the Netherlands will come into effect for the Caribbean Netherlands.[xxvi] The exact date is, however, unclear. Furthermore, the model of living costs will be adjusted in July 2024. From that date onwards, inhabitants of the Caribbean Netherlands will be able to breach the gap between social security and living costs that exists now. In addition, the Dutch government does undertake other efforts to address poverty, but the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights judges them to be insufficient. [xxvii]

The Dutch government seems to increasingly take responsibility for the high poverty levels in the Caribbean Netherlands. A necessary development: despite statements such as ‘Every student counts!’, the Dutch government has discriminated against Caribbean Dutch citizens. The unfavourable treatment they experience puts them behind their fellow citizens in Europe.

Conclusion

Education quality has increased significantly on the Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba islands. Great efforts have been made to tailor policies to the local contexts of the islands, which is essential for education equity between the European and Caribbean Netherlands. This is praiseworthy and will hopefully continue with the third Education Agenda.

However, great educational challenges persist on the islands. Benefits from and access to education are under pressure.  While multilingualism affects all students, poverty and the lack of special care affect some students disproportionately. Furthermore, the problem of poverty and lack of special care show clear signs of discrimination, which should be condemned and stopped. The case of the islands of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba thus indicates the need for policies tackling discrimination and a comprehensive plan to improve education further.


References

Cover Image: A young girl in costume during a parade on Bonaire (CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED, Wikimedia Commons: Atsme).

[i] Rijksoverheid. (N.d). Caribisch deel van het Koninkrijk. Rijksoverheid. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/caribische-deel-van-het-koninkrijk/rechtspositie-politieke-ambtsdragers-bonaire-sint-eustatius-saba

[ii] Rijksoverheid. (N.d.). Caribisch deel van het Koninkrijk. Rijksoverheid.

[iii] Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland. (N.d). Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap. Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland. https://www.rijksdienstcn.com/onderwijs-cultuur-wetenschap

[iv] Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland. (N.d). Onderwijsagenda voor Caribisch Nederland: samen werken aan kwaliteit. Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland. 1. https://www.rijksdienstcn.com/binaries/rijksdienstcn-nederlands/documenten/brochures/onderwijs-cultuur/onderwijsagendas/eerste-onderwijsagenda-caribisch-nederland/index/Eerste_Onderwijsagenda_NL.pdf

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[vi] Inspectie van het Onderwijs. (2017). De Ontwikkeling van het Onderwijs in Caribisch Nederland 2014-2016. Onderwijsinspectie. 39-41. https://www.onderwijsinspectie.nl/documenten/rapporten/2017/03/21/rapport-onderwijsontwikkelingen-caribisch-nederland-20142016

[vii] Buys, Marga. (2021). Evaluatie Tweede Onderwijsagenda Caribisch Nederland 2017-2020. Eerste Kamer. 20. https://www.eerstekamer.nl/overig/20210708/evaluatie_tweede_onderwijsagenda/document3/f=/vlkch545eltd_opgemaakt.

[viii] Buys, Marga. (2021). Evaluatie Tweede Onderwijsagenda Caribisch Nederland 2017-2020. Eerste Kamer. 22.

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[xv] Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland. (N.d). Taal in het Onderwijs. Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland. https://www.rijksdienstcn.com/onderwijs-cultuur-wetenschap/ouders-leerlingen/taal-in-het-onderwijs

[xvi] Polak, Anneke. (2014). Engels als instructietaal ‘ingrijpend’. Caribisch Netwerk. https://caribischnetwerk.ntr.nl/2014/06/19/engels-als-instructietaal-statia-ingrijpend/

[xvii] Buys, Marga. (2021). Evaluatie Tweede Onderwijsagenda Caribisch Nederland 2017-2020. Eerste Kamer. 20.

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[xxvi] Netherlands Institute for Human Rights. (2023). Caribisch Nederland krijgt wetgeving gelijke behandeling. College voor de Rechten van de Mens. https://www.mensenrechten.nl/actueel/nieuws/2023/01/25/caribisch-nederland-krijgt-wetgeving-gelijke-behandeling#:~:text=Iedereen%20die%20zich%20in%20Nederland,2010%20bijzondere%20gemeentes%20van%20Nederland

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