The United States Ambassador says her country is ready to assist the T&T Government as it moves to integrate refugee and migrant children into the local primary school system.
On Thursday, Guardian Media reported that the Government was advancing a policy to allow displaced children access to education from the start of the academic year in September. During a humanitarian breakfast meeting on education, Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne noted that efforts were being made to facilitate the enrolment of migrant students.
He said, “I would want for every single child in Trinidad and Tobago, I’m saying this not just in theory but to herald the Government’s advances in policy which have brought us to a point where we can look forward, in the very near future, efforts are taking place for this to occur in the coming school year ... at the primary level. We can facilitate integration and access to public education by children of migrants.”
Following the news of the Government’s proposed action, US Ambassador Candace Bond, in a statement issued yesterday, said the United States welcomes the move.
She said the US stands ready to work with the T&T Government in this effort.
She also said the move will benefit the children of this country.
“Many of the benefits derived from the phased approach we are discussing will result in a more inclusive and cohesive education system for the many Trinbagonian children who dropped out of school during the pandemic and never returned,” Bond said.
She noted that an estimated 5,000 children registered with UNHCR required access to education in T&T and said it was not only migrants from Venezuela but from other countries including Cuba, Jamaica, and Guyana, among others.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Resident Coordinator and members of the UN country team in this country also pledged support to the Government over the move to educate migrant children.
The agency said it recognised the importance of integrating refugee and migrant children into the national school system.
In a statement sent to the media, it said, “Access to education is fundamental to the lives of children, their families and the future of countries that host them.
“Children attending schools propels families forward and support integration and language acquisition, as well as provide a sense of normalcy and security. It gives an opportunity to think about the future and find pathways towards economic and social stability of the family.”
When contacted by Guardian Media for more information on the matter, Minister of Education Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said she will speak comprehensively on the issue but did not indicate when.
Already TTUTA has raised concerns about the capacity of schools to hold more pupils and what it would mean for the size of classes and resources.
Several Venezuelan activists and groups who have been assisting migrants have praised the approach by Government.
