INDEPENDENT NEWSLETTER

S TATIA N EWSV OLUME 1,ISSUE

11 J ULY 13, 2009 Summer Special, the story of Franoise and her Roses, by Walter Hellebrand, page 2 to 4 RSC and Young Beethoven, Page 5 Civil Servants Agreement, Page 6 Koos Sneek: New Tax Laws for the Bes islands 4, Page 7 Aviation Pioneers of the Caribbean, Page 8 The Untiy Youth Concert, Page 9 Rootsriders on Statia, Page 10

E DITORIAL

Summerholidays have started. A lot of smiling faces on Statia. A lot of good looking young people walking around, homefortheholidays. Congratulationstoallthestudentsthat graduated. You can find the pictures that were made at the GvP graduation partyhere: h t t p : / / p i c a s a w e b . g o o g l e . c o m / rickenmiek/GraduationGVP2009 Congratulations to teacher Anke en teacher Bart with their baby born yes terday:JULES Last Sunday motorcycle races, impor tantpartofStatiasculture.Everybody takedrinksandfoodandenjoysadayat theraces.Statianewshasnopicturesof thisevent,nexttime:sendthemin!

Inthisissue,thefinalarticleabouttaxes byKoosSneekandoursummerspecial: Part ONE of THREE of the story of Franoise and her Roses, written by WalterHellebrand. Also two valuable contributions in Letterstotheeditor. Still working on an article about the plansforhealthcare. Please, keep on helping Statianews to grow; put everybody on Statianews mailinglist.AndwriteoraskStatianews towrite! Enjoy,AnnemiekeKusters .

Letters to the editor, page 11 Announcements, page 12/14

P AGE 2 S UMMER S PECIAL

July 13, 2009

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F RANCOISE AND HER R OSES : A W OMAN B EATING THE O DDS IN THE 17 TH C ENTURY C ARIBBEAN - P ART 1ByWalterHellebrand Amongstthoseofyouwhousedtoreadmyarticles intheDailyHerald,somealreadyknowthatdiffer entviewsoftherespectanewspapershouldhave foritsreadersandcontributorsmeanthatIdonot feelcomfortableseeingmyarticlesappearunder theheadingofTheDailyHerald.Andforthoseof youwhowerewondering,nowyouknowtherea son. However,thereareotherwaysofsharingtherich andfascinatinghistoryofStatiaanditsneighbours. StatiaNewsisarecentalternativethathasbeen launchedjustattherighttimeandIhopeandtrust itwillcontinuetogrow. FrenchGuyana IhavejustcomebackfromatriptoFrenchGuyana whereIattemptedtofindthelocationsoftheDutch fortificationsthatwereconstructedthereinthe17th century.Thelocalarchaeologydepartmentwasvery happywithmyvisitandwiththehelpoftheirfacili tiesandcontacts,Isucceeded. Duringthecourseofmyresearchthere,Ialsocame acrossastorywithaStatianconnectionthatI thoughtwasveryinterestingandperhapsalittledif ferent.Itisdifferentbecauseitisa17thcenturystory withawomanatthecenterinsteadofthementhat normallydominatehistoricalaccountsofthatera.I thereforethoughtIwouldshareitwiththereaders ofStatiaNews. Itisthestoryofanenergeticwomanwhowasdeter minedtobeawinnerwhateverblowhistorydealt her.Italsoillustrateshowonewomanslifegot caughtupintheupsanddownsofDutchcolonial powerandintheEuropeanstruggletogetaslargea shareaspossibleofthepotentialtheAmericashad tooffer. FranoiseVaz TheinformationwehaveaboutFranoiseVazgives usarareinsightintotheunpredictableturnsinthe lifeofawomantryingtogetaheadintheuncertain colonialworldofthe17thcentury.Franoisewas borninRioGrande(nowNatal)inwhatwasthen DutchBrazil,inabout1645.ThePortuguese,intent onregainingtheircolony,managedtochasethe

FranoisewasborninRioGrande,picturedonthis 17thcenturyprint(WalterHellebrandCollection) Dutchoutin1655.Anexodusfollowed:ofDutch settlers,thosecloselyassociatedwiththem,andof Jews.TheDutchinBrazilhadalwayswelcomedthe JewsbutthePortuguesehadadifferentpolicy.The refugeeswenttoNewAmsterdam(nowNewYork), Cayenne(whichbecameaDutchcolonythatyear), CuraaoandStatia.Theytooktheirknowledgeof sugarcultivationandprocessingalongwiththem. TheVazfamily,includinglittleFranoise,choseto gotoStatia. FranoiseschildhoodandteenageyearsonStatia werelikelytohavebeenpeaceful.Theislandwas lefttoprosperundertheDutchflag.However,as sheenteredadulthood,Statiasfirst28yearsof peacecametoanendandaperiodofrepeatedflag changesfollowed.TheBritish(withtheirKing CharlesIIfirstandforemostamongstthem)were enviousofthegrowthofDutchwealthandpower andtriedtobreaktheDutchholdoverinternational tradebyforce.In1664,theBritishrearadmiral RobertHolmesraidedStatia(andDutchTobago) inplainpeacetime.Theaimwasnottotakethe island(nowarhadbeendeclaredafterall),butto ruintheislandseconomyandcommercialpoten tial.TheVazfamilymusthavesufferedthesame fateastheotherinhabitants:theywererobbedof

P AGE 3 S UMMER S PECIAL

July 13, 2009

S TATIA N EWS

F RANCOISE

AND HER

R OSESthingandin1665theSecondAngloDutchWar brokeout.On23Julyofthatsameyear,theGover norofJamaicasentoutEdwardMorgan(uncleof theinfamousfilibusterHenryMorgan)toStatia, togetherwith329buccaneers.TheyforcedFort Oranjetosurrender.

theirmerchandiseandstrippedofeverythingof value. FortOranjesurrenderedtobuccaneers Stillrecoveringfromthisblowandtryingtorebuild theisland,thenextyearFranoiseandherfellow Statianswereshockedtoseeanotherarmyfleetof 26shipsapproachingtheirshores.Theycouldbreath asighofrelief:itwastheDutchViceAdmiralMichiel deRuyterwhohadbeensentouttorestoreDutch powerintheregion.Alltheexcitementaboutenter tainingthecrmedelacrmeoftheDutchnavywas rudelyinterruptedbyanenemyofadifferentkind:a hurricane.ItmayhavebeenthefirstoneFranoise experiencedastheprevioustenyearsseemtohave beenarelativelycalmperiodinthisrespect.Thehur ricanechasedawayDeRuytersships.

TheinfamousbuccaneerHenryMorganwhose uncleEdwardcapturedStatiain1665 TheEnglishdeportStatiapopulation Franoisesfamilymusthavebeenwiththe19 Dutchnationals(men,womenandchildren)who switchedallegiancetotheEnglishortheymayhave claimedPortuguesenationalitybecauseallother Dutchcitizens(250intotal)wererobbedoftheir possessions,transportedtoSt.Maartenandlater orderedbyKingCharlesIItobedeportedtoBarba dosasforcedlaborersfortheplantationsthere. ThefactthatthelootoftheBritishincluded300 cattle,50horses,500sheepandgoats,50,000 poundsofcotton,840slavesplusthesugarworks

ThemonumentcommemoratingthevisitofAdmiral DeRuyterin1665 ThenextarmedfleettoappearbeforeStatiascoast didnotreceiveajoyouswelcome.Itsignalledthe startofarapidsuccessionofflagchangesanddiffi culttimesfortheVazfamilyandotherStatiaresi dents.ThecontinuousBritishharassmentofthe Dutchonallseasandshorescouldonlyleadtoone

P AGE 4 S UMMER S PECIAL

July 13, 2009

S TATIA N EWS

F RANCOISE

AND HER

R OSESAboutWalterHellebrand WalterHellebrandisahistorianwhowasbornand grewupinStatia.Hisparentslivedhereandworked asteachersattheGovernordeGraaffschoolinthe sixtiesandWalterwasbornhere.WhenWalterwas seven, the family left for Curacao. Walter always keptaspecialfeelingforStatiaandforStatiashis tory. He studies the history of Dutch overseas ex pansionallovertheworld.AlotofStatiansenjoyed hisarticlesintheSaturdayeditionsoftheDailyHer ald. These articles gave insight into aspects of Statia's heydays when the island was known asTheGoldenRock.Healsowroteletterstothe editoraboutStatiashistoryandheritage.Different views on editorial policy (especially concerning let terstotheeditor)ledtohisdecisiontostopwrit ingfortheDailyHerald.

RefugeesfromDutchBrazilintroducedthesugar processingtechnologytotheCaribbeanislands (WalterHellebrandCollection) (boilingvats,distillerykettles,ironcrushersetc)ofsix sugarplantations,isanindicationthattheislandhad quicklyrecoveredfromHolmesraidtheyearbefore. TheBritishleftanothermemberoftheMorganfam ily,Thomas,asCommanderoftheisland. Abizarresituationthatoccurredthenextyear,1666, woulddeterminetherestofFranoiseslife.How,we willfindoutinthenextinstallmentofFranoiseand herRoses.

WalterHellebrand Walter Hellebrand designed Statias coat of arms andrecentlyhecompiledtheproposedmonuments list.Hewillnotparticipateinthefollowupthatwill leadtotheproposedobjectsandbuildingsbecom ing actual monuments because that would be a conflictofinterestashemadetheproposedlist.It is unclear what the continuation of the monuments traject is going to be. Walter Helle brandexplainedtoStatianewsthatthedescriptions ofthemonumentsbythemonumentscouncilhave tocomplywiththeDutchregulationsaboutdescrib ing monuments. Different specialists must be part ofthatcouncil.

P AGE 5 L OCAL N EWS

July 13, 2009

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RSC R EGIONAL S ERVICE C ENTREOneofthedirectoratesoftheMinistryofInternal andKingdomAffairsisGovernmentandKingdom relations(bestuurenkoninkrijksrelaties).Itstask isthecoordinationanddevelopmentofpolicyfor thecooperationwiththeKingdompartners.The mainfocusforthereformsthataregoingonnowis theimprovementofthewellbeingofthepeoplein theDutchAntilles. ForStatia,SabaandBonaire,theRegionalService Centersarehandingovertaskstothedifferent DutchMinistries.TheRegionalServiceCentreisre sponsibleforalltherijksambtenarenBES,civil servantsthatworkinassignmentofthedifferent DutchMinistries,orthataredetachedtoworkfor independentcivilservicesontheBESislands.There willbeapproximately150ofthesecivilservants. TheRSCisafrontofficefortasksthatwillbedone byDutchorganizationsorbyorganizationsonother islandsoutsideoftheBES.TheRSCisabackoffice fortasksexecutedbydifferentDutchMinistries. Education ThekwartiermakersworkintheRSC.Hemmievan Xantenisoneofthemandhestartedtocoordinate educationforteachers.Fiveprofessionalsinthe fieldofeducationhaveshowninteresttofinish theireducation.TheHogeschoolWindesheimin Zwollewillprovidethecurriculumforsecondary schoolteachersandthePedagogischeAcademieof Emmenwilldosoforelementaryschoolteachers. ExamswillbedoneintheRegionalServiceCentre. HenkKamp OnAugust the 6th,from24.30pm,youcancon sultMr.HenkKamp,theBescommissioner,whois here to facilitate the transition. If you have any questions concerning What will happen when the Dutchcome,youcanmakeanappointmentatthe Regional Service Centre. Each consult will take ten minutes,thereisroomfor12people.OnSabathis same sessions will take place on August the 4th. The contact numbers of the Regional Service Cen tresare: Statia:3183370,Saba:4163934

Y OUNG B EETHOVENGreat performances at this musical event. All stu dentsthatplaymusicwereparticipatingintheannu almusicaleventtoendtheschoolyear.Thisyearthe concertwascalled:StatiasYoungBeethoven. Highlightsoftheshow: The anthem played by the little Packard girl, who came to live on Statia with her musical family. She studiedtheanthemin3weeksandtheperformance wasflawless. TheOranjeSteelband:DennisAmajanarrangedmu sictofitthesteelband.ABeatlessong,anElvissong and more. The Steelband is getting better all the ti me. ThetromboneplayedbyoneofthePackardfamily. Therecordergroup,inDutchthatisblokfluit,un der direction of Teacher Brenda of the Methodist School.Heartwarming. The trumpet played by Shevon Timber. He started playing three months ago and clearly has a musical talent.

If you want more pictures, send statianews an email: mailto:info@statianews.com

P AGE 6 I SSUE

July 13, 2009

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C IVIL S ERVANTS A GREEMENTOnJune24th,Mr.JulianWoodley,commissionerfor constitutionalAffairs,signedanagreementaboutthe transitionofcivilservants. In Statianews, a summary of this agreement. If you want to read the entire document in Dutch, mailto:info@statianews.com AllthepeoplethatworkfortheislandterritoryofSt. EustatiusandforthecountryNederlandseAntillen onStatia,willbetransferredtothepublicentity. Agreementshavebeenmadeunderwhatconditions theNetherlandswilltakeovertheworkers. Localgovernmentwillmakealistofallthecivilser vantsandsendittotheRegionalServiceCentre. Personal data, as well as data about the job and aboutthesalarywillbeonthatlist. One month after the making of this list, all the em ployees will receive a confirmation. This is called a uitgangspositie. Threemonthsbeforethetransition,theNetherlands will confirm the intention to take the workers into civilservice.Someonewhoworksfortheislandterri toryanddoesnotfulfillhisorhertasktothefullest, canbeofferedanewjob. TheNetherlandsandtheislandterritoryofSt.Eusta tiuswillmakethejudgmentsaboutthefulfillmentof tasks in government jobs. The Netherlands will de cide if people that started working as a civil servant after December 8, 2007, will be transferred into Dutchservicetoo. WhatjobsareinlocalserviceorinDutchservicewill be decided upon by the executive council and the Netherlands. OncetheNetherlandshasgiventhisintention,ados sierofallemployeeswillbeworkedoutinmorede tail. In this dossier, not only the personal data, but also financial data and data concerning the job: job description, assessments, approval for extra activi ties,sickleave,etc.willbedescribed. Theopportunitywillbegivenforworkerstolookinto thatdossier.

EducationalPersonnel At the moment, the Netherlands is not appointing peopletoworkintheeducationalfield,butwillbe responsibleforthemoneyspendoneducation.The personnel expenses make up most of the costs, therefore its necessary for St. Eustatius and the Netherlandstomakefurtheragreementsaboutthe personnelandorganizationalpolicyuntilthedate oftransition. For educational personnel, the above mentioned firstlistwillbemadeandsendtotheRegionalSer viceCentre. Allnewpersonnelfortheschoolsmustbeapproved bytheKwartiermakerorthedirectoroftheRSC. St.Eustatiuswillnotmakeanychangesinthelegal status of the educational personnel without the approval of the kwartiermaker of director of the RSC.

P AGE 7 D ISCUSSION

July 13, 2009

S TATIA N EWS

N EW T AXESBy Koos Sneek

FOR THE

BES I SLANDS ,

PART

4

In the previous editions of Statia News I have discussed the immovable property tax and the ABB as worked out in the 3rd concept tax laws for the BES islands. In this issue I will discuss the income tax. The income tax (and also wage tax) will be 10% over the board. This means that everyone will pay the same percentage. This is an improvement since presently we have a progressive tax regime. The higher your income the higher percentage (up to 33%) of that income you pay in taxes. It is clear that a flat tax tariff of 10% will first of all benefit the persons with higher incomes, since they are now paying the highest percentage. However, also the threshold will be increased to US $ 10,000. This is Nafl 12,660 presently. As long as your salary is no higher then approximately US $ 916 (Nafl 1,500) per month no tax need to be paid. It is the intention that the wage tax as much as possible will be an end tax. Together with introducing a 10% tax for all incomes above the threshold also most deduction and the need to declare additional income (like rental income) will disappear. Deductions that will remain are paid interest on home loans up to US $ 15,363. and study cost for children up to 27 years. Property insurance premiums will be deductable up to US $ 559. This amount is rather low taking into consideration the high insurance rates charged for hurricane insurance, presently up to 1.2 %. Rental income from homes and apartments will be tax free. This is also an improvement. Under the present tax regime 65% of this income need to be added to the taxable income. Making it tax free is basically legalizing the present custom of many if not all private owners of homes and apartments, who do not declare any rental income. A director/owner of a company (N.V., B.V. etc.) is obliged to have a taxable income for the income tax of at least US $ 30,000. This is not a requirement under the present system. First of all I wonder what this amount is based upon. I believe that in reality there are very few company director/owners in Statia who are making this amount. In my opinion before establishing a minimum taxable income research need to be carried out to establish a realistic taxable income.

There are business owners who are director/owner of more than one company. Is this minimum taxable income applicable for all companies? If your company is a sole proprietorship you will fall under the income tax. Under this tax, deductibles as depreciation and investment deduction will remain. In the present system investerings aftrek (investment deduction) is 12% on buildings and 8% on equipment etc. in the first two years. In the new system it is 8% over the board. Here the incentive for investment is clearly lowered. I wonder why. If you use the deduction you cannot sell a building within 15 years. Presently this is 10 years. 15 years is a very long time. When you use a company car, 15% of the value, when the car was new, needs to be added to the income. This is 20% now so this is an improvement. It is not clear to me if there are special tariffs for instance for overtime and vacation pay and if there are any, how high are these. High tariffs generally do not stimulate extra output. As I have stated in my first article in general the lay out of the proposed tax laws looks like an improvement and beneficial to the public and business sector on the islands. There are however a number of articles in each of the drafts that are of serious concern and may negatively influence the cost of living as well as the investment climate and doing business on the islands. I sincerely hope that these issues will be addressed.

P AGE 8 L OCAL N EWS

July 13, 2009

S TATIA N EWS

A VIATION P IONEERS

OF THE

C ARIBBEAN

Oranjestad, St. Eustatius On Saturday, July 11th 2009,theAviationPioneersoftheCaribbeanFounda tion elected anew Board. TerranceRey was elected as the new president, taking over from Elizabeth (Elly)Delien, founder of theFoundation andpartner of Winairs legendary pilot, the late Jos Dormoy, affectionately known as Pipe. Rey is managing di rector of AirStMaarten, a company specializing in privatechartersthroughouttheCaribbean. Walter Hellebrand, historian and communications professional,wasnewlyelectedtotheboardandwill takeontheroleofsecretary.EllyDelienstaysonas memberoftheboardinthecapacityoftreasurerand the Boards former secretary Nyna Burright, a ship ping coordinator working for St. Eustatius Port Ser vices, was also reelected. She will act as substitute secretary. The Foundation was established on February, 12th 2008byEllyDelientopreserveandpromotethehis toryofaviationintheCaribbeaninparticularinthe Windward Islands and to pay tribute to the pio neers who opened up the islands to the outside world and thereby played an important role in their development.SomeofthewaysbywhichtheFoun dation tries to achieve its purpose include research and exposure of the history of aviation as well as projects to create more interest in the aviation his toryofeachindividualisland. WhenJosDormoypassedawayin2007,EllyDelien was left with a virtual treasure chest of documents, informationandimagesrelatingtotheearlydaysof aviationintheWindwardIslands,aneventfulpastin whichherpartnerofmanyyearsplayedaveryactive role. She thought Pipes personal archive would makeavaluablebeginningofacollectionofinforma tion about the history of aviation in the islands that was worth sharing with everybody. She therefore decided to start the Aviation Pioneers of the Carib beanFoundation. Projects Initsfirstyear,theFoundationssizablearchivewas inventoriedandorganized.Also,displayscommemo ratingtheaviationpioneerswerearrangedforSabas airportandWinairssalesofficeinSt.Maarten.

TheFoundationhasanumberofprojectsunderway set to launch in August and November of thisyear and, with the new team on the Board, expects to initiate several more to highlight the pilotswhoopeneduptheskyforthenortheastern Caribbeanislands. FounderoftheAviationPioneersoftheCaribbean Foundation, Elizabeth Delien, handing over the chairmans propeller to Terrance Rey of AirStMaarten.

Acknowledgments Elly Delien expressed her thanks to all the former boardmembersfortheirassistancewiththeestab lishment of the Aviation Pioneers of the Caribbean Foundation and especially acknowledged the sup portofClaudieBanare;filmmakerPierreBrouwers, Jerry Casius; Leontien Durby; Michael Ferrier; Faustin,DeniseandRobertLede;MichelMartinon; AirStMaarten,MazingaGiftshopandXerox. The Board would like to encourage everyone with stories,materialorimagesrelatingtothehistoryof aviation in the northeastern Caribbean to contact theFoundationsothatscansorcopiescanbemade inordertoincreasetheknowledgeofitsfascinating development. Forfurtherinformation:InSt.Maarten:Terrance Rey5819740/terrance@caribserve.netInSt. Eustatius:ElizabethDelien5234485/apot carib@yahoo.com

P AGE 9 M USIC

July 13, 2009

S TATIA N EWS

U NITY Y OUTH C ONCERTSaturday July 11, Fort Oranje A musical evening presented by the Mega D Youth Foundation. A nice atmosphere, a lot of music and dance and a lot of laughter, especially when Fernando Clark made jokes. Fernando Clark was the surprise guest presentator, a well known comedian from St. Maarten. More people become involved in the activities of the Mega D. Youth Foundation. The Simon Doncker club, Stenapa, Statia Youth Soccer, the Aloei Dancers and the Innovation Bureau had presentations. MYF has a lot of plans, you can read all about it on their website: http://mega-dyouthfoundation.org

It was the grand premier of the videoclip A Helping Hand that was made in cooperation with over 20 local artists.

TheheavenlyvoicewasheardofNaldoCourtar,lccalpoliceofficer.

A lot of these artists were performing. Amongst them Lenaldo Courtar, Alicia Redan, Camberley Berkel, Joey & Friends, the Bethel Methodist School Choir, the Simon Doncker Club, Michael Daniel and the Aoei Dancers. This evening was also the introduction of the Mega D. Youth Foundation. This foundation is structured to focus on the youth, its main goal is to educate, motivate and encourage the youth of St. Eustatius.

Mega D. is aksing all of us to be part of the movement: be A Helping Hand

P AGE 10 M USIC

July 13, 2009

S TATIA N EWS

R OOTSRIDERS

ON

S TATIA , A UGUST 5, L IONS D ENvarioustoursinAfricaoverthepast2years.The12 brandnewsongsfeaturethebestofAfricantalent Rootsriders teamedup with. The band performed inover15countriesoutsidetheirhometerritoryof theNetherlands. On stage the band combines the classic Marley tunes together with their own repertoire in a unique blend of fresh reggaeflavored music: It's this combination of Marley's popular & recogniz able songs and their own vibrant & catchy tracks thatmaketheirfunfilledperformancessuchamust seeexperience. Tribute2BobMarleyliveatMelkwegAmsterdam December9,2008:http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=TzSvEoSLNHs Tribute2BobMarleyJamming(ftLeona,Irepeat andothers):http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=IooiY0434LI RootsridersinAfrica:http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=eKgI4C4scc

TheRootsFoundationpresentRootsridersonStatia. Theband,withsingerShirmaRousefromStatia,will beplayingattheLionsDenAugust5. The proceeds for the tickets will go to the auxillary home and chapel piece recreational center. AbouttheRootsriders If you're a lover of the music of Mr Robert Nesta Marley, then you will be invigorated and energized by the classy and skanky sound of Dutch/Caribbean collective Rootsriders. Their homage to Bob Mar ley celebrates the life and times of the finest and most influential reggae artist of all time in a spec tacular fashion. Borntoperform front man Philip 'Junior'Teclaisbackedbyabandoftopnotchmusi cians,allwellknownontheDutchmusicscene. In the Netherlands Rootsriders released an album mixtapeonwhichtheycollaboratedwithmanypopu larDutchrapperstoshowthatMarley'smusicisn'ta phenomenon from the past only, but that his music andwordsarestillvalidforeventheyoungestofmu sic generations of today. Theyve just finished work ingontheirnewalbumSoMuchMore,recordedon

Tribute2BobMarley,photobyIljaMeefout

P AGE 11 L ETTERS TO THE EDITOR

July 13, 2009

S TATIA N EWS

Statia spread your wings and fly.Dear editor, I applaud the efforts of the Dutch as it pertains to my island, Statia. However, I feel that the affairs of Statia are the responsibility of the people of Statia. It is by no means a bad thing to have the Dutch take over the responsibilities from the Netherlands Antilles as it pertains to the BES islands. However, I firmly believe that this should be a temporary situation. There should be a transition period during which careful thought should be given to those tasks that can be transferred to the local government of Statia. However our representatives should be equipped for such a responsibility. In life there is no greater bond than that between a mother and her child. The mother nurtures her child while the child learns about that thing called life and the ways in which she can survive on her own once she reaches adulthood. As the child grows older she internalizes all that she has learnt and she of course forms opinions of her own. She realizes that she must learn to spread her own wings. This is a scary process but its a thing she must do in order to become the woman she was destined to become. So Statia when will we muster up the courage to spread our own wings and fly? A critical Statian, living in the Netherlands.

start 6 years later (actually 12 years later!) in Dutch than their Dutch counterparts, but they have to take exactly the same Dutch exams. So that way students that barely master the language enter the gates of the GvP school and then have to learn the language in half the time that they would in Holland. Clearly one cannot blame the teachers for the results that are obviously going to be worse than in Holland. Its policy that is flawed. In the second place: books are the instrument of learning for schools. Maybe the commissioner has made use of them himself when he was enjoying his education and maybe he realizes that they do help in educating students. To mention to Statia society that youve spent millions of their taxmoney without succeeding in obtaining books, is, to say the least, embarrassing. Where is the money spent on if not on books? The Innovation Centre spends lots of money on all kinds of educational courses. That is not wise educational policy. Government needs to get the educational priorities right. Hardware and software should come first. And by that I mean books, well equipped classrooms and computers. They constitute the learning environment for the students. Expensive courses can come after that. So, all in all, it might not be a bad idea for commissioner Hooker to do a little soul searching, before, unjustly, putting the blame on the GvP teachers. In fact he should praise the teachers and the students that passed their exams for achieving what they did in these unfavorable circumstances. What can be done to remedy the situation? Two things basically. First a choice must be made for Dutch exams or English exams. This purely a political choice. If government feels students have a better chance with English exams than they should copy Sabas system. Saba made the choice for English exams and they are pleased with their choice and things are going comparatively well. If on the other hand government chooses Dutch exams (maybe because students can then study with the financial help of Dutch government in Holland), then theyll have to stick with that. But choices bear consequences. If Dutch exams is the choice, then the language of instruction in the primary schools also will have to be Dutch. Otherwise its not fair to the children. You cant have it both ways. Failing to choose and then blaming teachers or asking Holland for help is not fair nor is it serving any purpose. In the second place, money spent on education needs to be prioritized correctly. It makes no sense to send management or teachers to expensive courses if children have no books and computers. It is also essential to involve teachers in the process of determining where money needs to be spent to enhance the quality of education. The way it is done now, teachers are not involved. Often they hear one day before start that they have some kind of motivational program. Balloons are thrown in the air and everybody is supposed to feel good. But the problems are not solved and teachers do not feel committed if management/board/government do not listen. In this way it works just like a company. The workers need the right tools. If management gives them the wrong tools youll get the wrong product.

The educational system on StatiaDear editor,On Thursday, July 2nd the results of the Gwendoline van Putten exams for the year 2009 were made public. The results were not good. All sections of the GvP school scored around 30%. Only the havo scored about 60%. At the graduation ceremony, Commissioner Hooker laid the blame for the poor results flatly at the feet of the teachers of the GvP school. He also said that clever teachers should be able to achieve better results even without books. He then went on to mention that he had spent millions on education and that these millions had been taxpayers money. Well lets try to analyze the whether what Mr. Hooker said has any merit. First of all the commissioner is responsible for making educational policy on the island. Well examine that first. The choice was made to have English as the instruction language at primary schools while making the students do Dutch exams at the secondary level. That in itself is a recipe for failure. Students

Rick Kusters, teacher at the GvP school.

P AGE 12 A NNOUNCEMENT

July 13, 2009

S TATIA N EWS

SPAY AND NEUTER CLINIC INFORMATIONW HY YOU SHOULD SPAY OR NEUTERR EASONS TO S PAY AND N EUTER S TATIA S A NIMALS Spaying or neutering your animal helps to decrease Statias pet overpopulation In a female dogs lifetime, she can have up to 450 puppies!!!! By spaying her, she will have none!

Female dogs who have excessive amount of puppies are at increased risk of breast cancer...yes dogs can get breast cancer

Male dogs who are neutered are calmer, more obedient, less irritable and urinate less.

No unwanted mess associated with female reproductive cycle and unwanted male suitors

Saving Statias animals from a life on the streets

DO NT LITTER! SPAY ORNEUTER YOUR CRITTER!

P AGE 13 A NNOUNCEMENT

July 13, 2009

S TATIA N EWS

P AGE 14 A NNOUNCEMENT

July 13, 2009

S TATIA N EWS