Philipsburg:--- A group of young women and men attending a health care course at the Educa Bureau RRR on Pondfill are now wondering if they were ripped off by the school when they registered to follow a nine-month course to become nurses aid. Speaking to SMN News were Florestine La Rocque, Giselle Cadington and Angela Gordon.
The students said they registered for the course since August 2008 and has already paid over $1,200 and to date they do not know if and when they would graduate and if they do if the certificate would be accepted anywhere on St. Maarten or abroad.
The young women who are all working in order to pay for their dream careers said when they enrolled in the school they were told that the school is accredited in Curacao and that they would receive practical training at the St. Maarten Medical Center.
Cadington said ever since they started the course they have been doing the theoretical part of the course but to date they have not started the practical. They said the school does not even have beds or other materials to train nurses and so far they did some job training at the White and Yellow Cross. They said when they asked the owner of the school when they would begin their practical training at the St. Maarten Medical Center the owner keeps telling them that she is not able to make contact with her people at the St. Maarten Medical Center. They said recently they heard that the school is not accredited and the school do not follow the regular curriculum of any nursing school of the Netherlands Antilles.
SMN News contacted management of the St. Maarten Medical Center who said they never heard of such a school and that they have no arrangements with the school to provide practical training for the nurses-assistants. SMN News also contacted the sector health care affairs to see if the department has any knowledge of the school and if government plays any role in organizing the course. Joireen Wuite sector director of the department said she never heard of the school and neither is government involved in organizing the course. Furthermore, SMN News learnt from the students that one of their teachers works at sector health care during the weekdays.
The students said they heard of the school when an older nurse at the St. Maarten Medical Center was providing the courses. They said the students who trained under nurse Brunelda Illidge are now LPN and RN at the St. Maarten Medical Center and the White and Yellow Cross. However, since Illidge left everything changed.
SMN News contacted the owner of Educa Bureau RRR Ms. Yvonne Dick who said her school is accredited by the White and Yellow Cross. When SMN News pressed for answers about the graduation and practical training Dick responded "Please tell the students to come in so we can discuss the matter". When she was told that the St. Maarten Medical Center and sector health care has no knowledge of her school she responded by saying "is that what they told you?" Dick said they only reason the course prolonged for two years is because her teachers stopped showing up to teach the classes.
As we continue to press for answers about the amount of monies the students paid and the period of time they are waiting. Ms. Dick said "I am not answering any more questions."
SMN News learnt that while 16 of the students in group A and B have spoken out the students that are currently taking a health care course do not know their fate.
