Teachers to receive NAf. 200 vouchers

November 23, 2017

~ Five days off ~

PHILIPSBURG–Educators in the country will be able to stock up a bit more grocery items this month, thanks to a NAf. 200 gift vouchers each will receive as a token of appreciation in observance of World Teachers Day, which was observed on October 5.

Education Minister Silveria Jacobs said on Wednesday that she had promised teachers they could look forward to a token of appreciation for Teachers Appreciation Day. She said while it had taken some time to finalise, teachers can look forward to the positive gesture.
The gift vouchers can be used to shop at Prime Distributors, which Jacobs thanked for its assistance. She also thanked her staff for ensuring that no one is left out. She expressed hope that accountability will take place in schools to ensure that each staff member receives a voucher.
In addition to the vouchers, each teacher will also receive an Education on the Move polo shirt. Jacobs said in the past cups were given and many school boards had been questioning why only public schools were receiving these items. She expressed hope that teachers will wear the polo shirts on Fridays. The polos will be delivered to schools as part of celebration for International Teachers Appreciation Day.
“This is to show that it doesn’t matter what month or year, but teachers form a key part of educating our youth and they will be able to do their jobs with a smile on their faces and will do their best to take kids to the next level,” Jacobs said during the Council of Ministers press briefing.
In the meantime, teachers and school staffers will also be getting five days off from November 30 to December 1, as well as on January 3, 4 and 5, 2018, in gratitude for those who went out to work following the worst storm to date in St. Maarten. Jacobs had said in a letter to school boards earlier this month, “This is an opportunity to allow teachers and supporting staff to recuperate and to address personal matters that they may not have had an opportunity to address up to this time.”
She said in the letter that it had been indicated in an Emergency Response Team meeting that that teachers were not doing as well as students and had complaints of exhaustion and sadness. Additionally, school boards had also requested consideration for teaching and supporting staff to grant them additional time off to provide an opportunity to recuperate.
“We are still in recovery and teachers are also dealing with the distress that Irma has left behind. Therefore, I would like to encourage you to continue to exercise patience and consideration to our teachers, as they are the ones whom we depend on for the recovery of our students,” Jacobs said in the letter.