Education Ministry and Denominational Board agree

Officials of both the Ministry of Education and the Association of Denominational Boards of Education have all agreed that every child should receive quality education. Following a meeting last Thursday, there were assurances from both sides on the roles and responsibilities of the State and the Church in the provision of quality education to the citizens of the nation.

The meeting, held at St Mary’s College, Frederick Street, was attended by 22 members of the Association of Denominational School Boards and was led by Clive Borely. The Education Ministry was represented by Permanent Secretaries Thecla Reyes and Angella Jack; Deputy PS Dr Janet Stanley-Marcano; Chief Education Officer Paula Daniel and Director of Schools Supervision Roland Rajkumar-Maharaj. Labelling the Association of Denominational School Boards as a “key stakeholder” in the Ministry’s effort to reform and modernise primary and secondary education, Reyes assured persons that Government wanted to strengthen the partnership between the State and Church. Association representatives seized the opportunity to voice concerns over the consultation process being employed with respect to the restructuring and decentralisation of the Ministry. Discussions also took place on issues impacting on the day-to-day operations of schools, especially financing and staffing at denominational schools.

In view of recent statements in the media surrounding the Association’s objections to aspects of the Romain Report on the Restructuring and Decentralisation of the Education Ministry, the Association Chairman Clive Borely emphasised that there was “certainly no war between the Churches and the State or the Ministry and the Denominational School Boards over educational turf.”