The Democratic Labour Party’s spokesman on education has accused senior Ministry of Education officials of repeatedly mismanaging and inadequately leading the country’s educational system.
In a statement on Thursday, Felicia Dujon, the party’s third vice president, voiced strong concerns over ongoing issues, following a press conference the day before in which the ministry issued the apology in light of criticism from public primary school principals over last-minute reassignments of principals and the exclusion of acting principals for consideration for permanent appointments.
“The Democratic Labour Party is profoundly concerned about the Ministry of Education’s press conference held yesterday, where the minister once again issued an apology for the delays in having schools ready for the start of the academic year,” Dujon said. “These repeated apologies reflect a persistent pattern of mismanagement and inadequate leadership within the Ministry. The ongoing issues must be addressed urgently, as students, teachers, and parents should not be subjected to recurring disruptions and delays each academic year.”
Dujon called for greater accountability and transparency from the ministry and urged the government to implement more stringent oversight to ensure the education system receives the priority it deserves.
“The current state of disorganisation and lack of effective leadership is unacceptable and threatens the future of our nation’s children,” she said.
The DLP spokeswoman also expressed scepticism of the ministry’s announcement that the Alma Parris School for special needs students, which was closed in 2017, would reopen next year. She declared the delay to reopen the school as unjustifiable, citing previous unfulfilled promises.
Dujon said: “Despite the critical role this school plays in supporting students with learning disabilities, there has been no significant progress toward reopening it since the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) assumed office in 2018. The former BLP Minister of Education Santia Bradshaw had promised that the school would be reopened under her tenure, particularly for students with special needs. However, this promise remains unfulfilled. The ongoing closure of Alma Parris Memorial School is a glaring oversight by the ministry, leaving many vulnerable students without the appropriate educational opportunities and support they need.
“The ministry’s continued failure to address the reopening of Alma Parris is a direct breach of its duty to support students who are most in need. We cannot continue to fail our children repeatedly. Empty promises without tangible action only serve to exacerbate the crisis within our education system.”
Dujon also noted that work at several schools was behind schedule ahead of the start of the Michaelmas term. She promised to visit more schools in the coming days with her team and provide a detailed report on the situation. (SZB)
The post DLP chides Ministry of Education for ‘mismanagement’, delays appeared first on Barbados Today.