St: Peters:--- Students and parents of the Starlight Education Foundation can now breathe a sigh of relief since management of the school along with several businesses who came to the school's aid managed to sign an agreement today (Thursday) which paved the way for the re-opening of the school on Monday. Teachers, cleaners and parents are asked to meet at the school at 1 pm today (Friday).
Spokesman for the businesses Roberto Richardson told reporters yesterday that the businesses paid Naf 50,000 as a down payment on the rent arrears and they would continue to pay off the debt on a monthly basis. Richardson said they also signed a new lease agreement which would last until August 1 2009 where the businesses would cover the rental expenses. Richardson said that one of the things the parents can guarantees is this problem will not re-occur until the end of the lease agreement.
Students of Starlight Education Foundation was put of school since January 9th after the marshals placed padlocks on the doors of the school for the lack of rent payments. The few businesses who came together intend to negotiate with the island government and the school to make sure they meet government criteria for subsidy. One aspect to make sure the finances of the school is properly checked. He said Starlight has to comply with the criteria and they would be putting a committee in place to make sure the transition takes place. While the school director said they already meet the criteria that are set down by education department but somehow they are still in the same position which is without subsidy.
Richardson said the matter of Starlight Education is a very touchy case since the issue at hand is not popular. He said this is a case of undocumented children which everyone has allowed to take place. This situation is tied into immigration and if not dealt with then the students of this school can become a menace to society. "Right now with all the crime and the youth being the future is the perfect place to start and one should not only focus on the status of the children. Instead people should have love for children and people as a whole". Richardson said.
Richardson said he was in discussion with the education department who is abreast with the new developments. While the padlocks will be removed between today (Thursday) and tomorrow Friday the cleaners and teachers would use these two days to clean up back the school and prepare for the reopening on Monday.
Starlight Education has been providing education to under privileged students since 1992 said Director of the Institution Carmen Hodge. Hodge said while people is of the opinion that her school only provide education to undocumented students that she said is far from the truth since the commissioner of education Sarah Wescot Williams had one of nephews attending the learning institution. "Starlight Education has a Kindergarten section that caters to everybody and several locals send their children to our Kindergarten section until they are of age to attend the public schools" Hodge said.
Hodge said while she is grateful for the assistance the island government was trying to provide to the sixth graders but the school she said has reopened its doors for all its students from Kindergarten to grade six and she would like those grade six students to remain in the system where they began their curriculum.
