PARAMARIBO - The new school year will start in a few weeks and Education, Science and Culture Minister Dirk Currie wants to make sure that there will not be any problems this time.
During consultations with President Jennifer Simons and Vice President Gregory
Rusland it was decided that a special committee would be put together to tackle the problems and to coordinate the measures that are needed. The committee is tasked with making an inventory of all of the problems and to present solutions as soon as possible. Professor Franklin Jabini who had conducted a study into the structural problems that plague the education system in the hinterland is also a member of this committee. Each year the same problems such as persistent teacher shortages and a delay in payments for transportation disrupt the education process throughout the entire school year. The shortage of teachers in the hinterland requires creative solutions. Officials have thought about opting for distance education and deploying retired teachers. Minister Currie announced that he was open to getting experienced teachers back in the classrooms in order to fill the gaps in the education system. “If there are retired educators who want to teach again, I am absolutely in favor of that,” said the minister.