~ Your Direct Path to Global University Success ~

Cul de Sac:---  Have you ever wondered about St. Maarten Academy’s CAPE Programme? Are you thinking about your options after graduating from high school? Then why not CAPE?

For parents and students seeking the ultimate regional qualification that is recognised and accepted by universities worldwide, the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) Associate Degree Programme is the clear choice.

Offered by St. Maarten Academy, the CAPE programme is more than just a certificate; it is a two-year Associate Degree that provides specialised academic depth, regional relevance, and unparalleled university preparation all at a local and accessible cost.

While other programmes focus on a global framework, CAPE provides a pathway that is tailored to and championed by the Caribbean, while simultaneously securing global recognition.

Exceptional Results: Our local CAPE Division consistently achieves high pass rates. For the May/June 2025 sitting, all 58 students, who sat different combinations of courses from among 21 subjects offered, attained 100% passes, demonstrating that world-class excellence is happening right here on St. Maarten.

With exceptional results over the years, CAPE students have even topped the Caribbean on the regional Merit List  (usually a top 10 regional ranking for a specific subject) for the years since its inception in 2014.

The institution has consistently achieved regional top 10 placements in the CAPE examinations from 2021 to 2025, with Digital Media being the most frequently recognized subject across all five years. The subject secured three placements in 2021, two in 2022 (including 4th place in Unit 1), and four in 2023, which notably included a first place for Unit 1.

The greatest subject diversity occurred in 2024, which yielded placements in  Performing Arts Unit 1 (tied for 1st, 4th, and 9th), Information Technology Unit 1 (8th), and Digital Media Unit 2 (5th). This success continued into 2025, with Digital Media Unit 1 securing six placements, including  first, second, fifth, and sixth place, alongside two top 10 placements in Performing Arts (5th and 9th).

A Recognised Associate Degree: Unlike a diploma or certificate, successful completion of the required units grants students an official Associate Degree (e.g., Associate of Science in Natural Sciences (Chemistry & Biology or Biology & Physics or Physics & Chemistry), Associate of Science (Mathematics/Information Technology) or Associate of Arts in Accounts/ Economics/ Entrepreneurship/Tourism). This valuable credential gives graduates a competitive edge, whether they pursue further studies or enter the workforce immediately.

The CAPE qualification provides a seamless transition to top universities across the world, especially North America and Europe. CAPE is widely accepted by universities in the United States and Canada; and in Europe, the CAPE Associate Degree carries the equivalence of the  ‘Voortgezet Wetenschappelijk Ondersijs’ (VWO), which is the highest level of secondary education in the Dutch system.

Regional Focus: CAPE ensures students develop essential regional knowledge through compulsory subjects like Caribbean Studies, Integrated or Applied Mathematics, and Communication Studies, fostering a strong sense of identity, analytical, and communication skills - all vital for future leaders in the region.

Matriculation Advantages: Through articulation agreements, CAPE qualifications are easily transferred to numerous international universities, often granting students course exemptions, which can significantly reduce the cost and completion time of their undergraduate degree.

Specialization vs. Generalization: The Power of Depth

The CAPE structure allows students to focus on their passions and future career paths from day one, offering a depth of knowledge. It is designed to promote specialised and rigorous preparation by allowing students to group their subject choices (Units) into distinct Associate Degrees.

For instance, the Natural Sciences specialisation, focusing on subjects like Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, is ideal for students aiming for advanced degrees in Engineering, Medicine, and Pure Science.

The Business Studies specializations, encompassing Accounts, Management of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Economics, provide the perfect foundational knowledge for undergraduate studies in Finance, Law, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship.

Lastly, the General Studies specialisation, which can include subjects like Law, Literatures in English, Sociology, and Digital Media, offers the necessary flexibility and breadth for students pursuing degrees in the Humanities, Media, and legal fields. This specialisation ensures that students gain the depth of knowledge required by top-tier universities, signalling their genuine commitment to a specific area of study from the outset.

Students select subjects (Units) grouped into specialised degrees, ensuring a focused and rigorous preparation that signals a genuine commitment to a specific field of study.

Study Financing for CAPE

The Government of Sint Maarten's commitment to developing local talent is clearly demonstrated by its full support of the CAPE programme through the Division of Study Financing. Not only is CAPE offered locally, providing a highly cost-effective pre-university option, but successful completion of the required units also meets the academic criteria for recipients of Study Financing.

Furthermore, students who receive at least six unit passes with Grade I and no more than two Grade II’s, may even qualify for Study Financing on the grounds of the exceptional academic achievement, securing their path to tertiary education with dedicated government support.

Affordability and Accessibility

Choosing the CAPE Associate Degree Programme means accessing internationally recognised university preparation right here at home, making it a highly cost-effective choice for families on St. Maarten. It keeps our young people connected, while providing them with an internationally valued associate’s degree.

Don't just prepare for the future; claim it. The CAPE Associate Degree is your proven launchpad for regional leadership and global opportunity.  Secure your placement and future success. Visit our website today at www.stmaartenacademy.com/cape or our Instagram page This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or join us on campus for our Open House on January 30, 2026!

PHILIPSBURG:--- During today's Question Hour in Parliament, what should have been a straightforward update on the Marketplace project instead became a glaring spotlight on a lack of progress, questionable timelines, and significant public funds spent with little to show for it. Member of Parliament Darryl York’s pointed questions to the Minister of TEATT, Grisha Heyliger-Marten, peeled back the curtain on a project that seems to be going nowhere fast.

The core of the issue was laid bare when MP York pressed the Minister on payments made to the contractor. The response was staggering: a deposit of approximately 467,000 guilders has already been paid. While some of this amount was reportedly for "contractual works" and "additional works requested by VROMI," the tangible results of this expenditure are invisible to the public. To make matters worse, we learned that just over 200,000 guilders of this sum remains as a "credit" with the contractor, already committed to suppliers and materials for a construction that has yet to begin in earnest.

This raises an immediate and critical question of accountability. How have nearly half a million guilders been disbursed for a project that remains a vacant promise?

The financial revelations were compounded by the Minister’s confusing explanation regarding the project’s timeline. In August, the public was told the marketplace would be completed in six to eight months; four months later, with no visible progress, that promise evaporated. The Minister attempted to clarify that her previous projection was based on a design and cost framework that has since changed.

The official reason for this new delay? Adjustments to the roof design. The decision to incorporate a polycarbonate structure, intended to improve natural lighting, apparently required the contractor to get a new quotation from a manufacturer. According to the Minister, this process "took longer than anticipated" and was the "exact holdup." This explanation is an insult to the public's intelligence. A design change on a roof has somehow stalled the entire project for months, conveniently after a completion timeline was publicly announced.

The facts presented in Parliament today paint a grim picture. A significant amount of public money has been spent, a publicly announced timeline has been discarded, and the official justification rests on a delayed roof quote. This is not a story of unforeseen complications; it is a story of poor planning, a lack of transparency, and a failure to deliver. The people deserve more than shifting goalposts and excuses. They deserve accountability for their money and a clear, honest path forward for the Marketplace project. As of today, they have received neither.

HNLMS Den Helder departed for the Netherlands yesterday. This newest navy supply ship has been in Caribbean waters for warm-weather trials since mid-October. The ship is now returning to the Netherlands to complete the ship's preparation phase in 2026 as planned.

After visits to Norfolk and New York, the Ministry of Defence decided last week to return the ship to the Caribbean. As an additional precaution, the ship was available there for resupply. The Ministry of Defence is now fulfilling this temporary role for HNLMS Den Helder with other resources. As a result, the ship can now return to the Netherlands. The Ministry of Defence will remain present in the Caribbean with ships such as HNLMS Groningen and HNLMS Pelikaan. The Netherlands also has transport capacity available in the Kingdom.
If all goes well, the crew can celebrate Christmas at home. After that, the navy will continue the ship's preparation phase as planned.

Hot and Cold Weather Trials
The Royal Netherlands Navy officially commissioned HNLMS Den Helder on October 1, 2025. Training and commissioning then began. The ship has now successfully completed hot-water trials in the Caribbean. These trials were part of the commissioning process. The high humidity and high seawater temperatures provided ideal conditions for testing how the ship and its installations respond to these conditions. After Christmas, the Navy will continue the commissioning process, including cold-weather trials. The ship will then be operationally available.

WILLEMSTAD:--- The Social and Economic Council (SER) of Curaçao delivered a detailed advisory today to the Minister of Economic Development, Drs. Roderick Middelhof, on proposed national regulations that would impose an import ban on designated fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs. The council adopted its advisory on December 12, 2025, following deliberations during a plenary session.
The draft measures before the council are framed as an effort to implement Article 4 of the National Ordinance on Import and Export, a provision at the center of current policy discussions about food security, price stability and the resilience of Curaçao’s agricultural sector. At issue are draft rules that would prohibit the import of certain fresh produce, subject to a permit-and-exemption system. Under the drafts, the executive branch would determine and periodically update the list of covered products by ministerial regulation.
Beyond the prohibition itself, the draft regulations envision a broader framework of information-collection and producer registration. Officials would establish a registry of local growers — known locally as “kunukero’s” — to enable more data-informed reviews of permit applications and to improve transparency across the supply chain.
In preparing its advisory, the SER applied a rigorous and multidisciplinary analytical framework. Legal experts within the council evaluated the draft legal text against Curaçao’s domestic legal framework, including the National Ordinance on Import and Export, and assessed its consistency with higher legal norms — among them international trade principles and foundational rule-of-law standards.
Concurrently, the council examined the socioeconomic context underpinning the proposed measures. That analysis drew on available empirical data and academic studies on Curaçao’s food systems, with particular attention to the island’s dependence on imported produce, recent trends in consumer prices, and the structural dynamics of its local agriculture.
Assessment did not end with legal and economic theory. Attention also turned to questions about how the policy would work in practice, probing how a system of permits and exemptions would be administered on the ground, what kinds of oversight would be needed to ensure compliance, and how the necessary information systems would have to be set up to make the whole framework function effectively.
To broaden the perspective, the SER brought international experience into its review. Comparative insights from literature and regulatory practice in other island economies provided additional texture, while selected consultations with local stakeholders added real-world context and nuance to the council’s understanding.
Taken together, these strands produced a comprehensive advisory that lays out the analytical frameworks, data evaluations and practical considerations that informed the council’s review. The document is designed to support the broader legislative process with a foundation of evidence and legal rigor, offering clarity on how the draft measures intersect with both statutory norms and socioeconomic realities.