~ Online classes to begin Monday.~
PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Education Rodolphe Samuel announced on Wednesday that some 36 students left St. Maarten on Tuesday for the Netherlands to begin their education. Minister Samuel said that all students that left on Tuesday had their PCR testing done and all of them were tested negative. He said these students were greeted by student counselors that will assist them as they settle in various cities in the Netherlands. Samuel said that these students will remain in hotels for two days and will then moved to the cities where they will be studying. He said that they will have to abide by the regulations to combat the spread of COVID-19.
School Subsidy.
The Minister also clarified that the subsidies for school boards were paid on June 25th for the month of July. In the meantime, schools are scheduled to reopen on Monday beginning with online classes. The Minister of education said that he anticipated that there will be a number of challenges when school reopens. Those challenges are internet connections, data, and no devices in some homes. He said another hindrance may be that some platforms may not be known to the students but expects a smooth transition.
