Working visit Minister Dijkgraaf to Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire
Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf (Education, Culture and Science) will visit Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire from 15 to 20 January. The theme of the visit is the Ministerial Four-Country Consultation on Education, Culture and Science and the commemoration of the slavery past. Minister Dijkgraaf is the coordinating minister of the Slavery Past Commemoration Year, which will start on 1 July this year.
In Curaçao, Minister Dijkgraaf and State Secretary Gunay Uslu (Culture and Media) participate in the annual Four-Country Ministerial Consultation on Education, Culture and Science. The theme of that consultation is the cooperation between the countries within the kingdom in the field of education and science. This concerns, among other things, strengthening Caribbean education and the connection to further education. In Curaçao Dijkgraaf also speaks with Governor Lucille Andrea George-Wout and with Minister Rodolphe Samuel (Education, Culture, Youth and Sport) of Sint Maarten.
The slavery past plays an important role during the visit. In Curaçao, Minister Dijkgraaf consults with representatives of Plataforma Sklabitut i Herensha di Sklabitut (Platform of slavery and its legacy) and visits the National Archaeological Anthropological Memory Management (NAAM). The visit to the western part of Curaçao (Bándabou) is also dominated by the slavery past, especially freedom fighter Tula, who led a revolt against slavery on the island in 1795. Following the government of Curaçao, the Dutch government will formally restore Tula's honour. At the University of Curaçao, Minister Dijkgraaf speaks with students about commemorating the slavery past.
He also visits the new Leerhotel, a collaboration between ROC Mondriaan, the Curaçao Hospitality & Tourism Association (CHATA) and the Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB). In the Leerhotel, MBO students in the hospitality and tourism industry are trained to become professionals. In Curaçao, Minister Dijkgraaf will also visit the Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity (Carmabi). This is a maritime research institute that manages three national parks in Curaçao.
Aruba
In Aruba, Minister Dijkgraaf will meet with Governor Alfonso Boekhoudt and speak with Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes, Minister Endy Croes (Education and Sports) and Minister Xiomara Maduro (Finance and Culture) about education and the slavery past.
In Aruba he also visits Colegio San Nicolas (secondary education), training institute Instituto Pedagogico Arubano (IPA) and the Mon Plaisir school (primary education). At Colegio San Nicolas the subject is preparing for further education. And at IPA and the Mon Plaisir school, the subject is the cooperation between teacher training colleges and (primary) schools. At the University of Aruba he speaks with students about various topics.
Bonaire
Minister Dijkgraaf talks to the Executive Council on Bonaire and also visits Brede School Papa Cornes (school for primary education). He continues to MBO Bonaire, with the themes of educational accommodation and preparation for further education. The minister also speaks to members of the July 1 working group, including representatives of FuHiKuBo (Fundashon Históriko Kultural Boneriano). This is a Bonairean organization that is concerned with recording the history of Bonaire. He also visits and speaks with a number of students from the Language School.
In anticipation of the start of the Slavery Past Commemoration Year, Minister Dijkgraaf will also be visiting Suriname and Saba, Sint Maarten and Sint Eustatius this spring.