The Executive Council of Saba wishes to inform the public of the recent visit of the Inspectorate of Education, which occurred from April 9th to April 16th, 2024. The delegation from the Inspectorate comprised of four members, including inspectors of primary and secondary education quality, and two financial inspectors.

Confidential discussions were held between the inspectors and the school boards on Monday, April 15th. This has led to the official resignation of all members of both the SKO SABA and Saba Educational Foundation Boards. While this news may be concerning the continuity of education, we are actively liaising with the Ministry of Education to seek urgent support.

Additionally on April 15th, the Executive Council convened with the inspectors to receive an update on their findings. It is important to note that the inspectors could only share general findings with the council, as they are obligated to provide detailed results solely to the School Board Management.

The primary investigations conducted by the Inspectorate focused on three key areas:
1.      Quality of Education in Primary School
2.      Board Management of Both Schools
3.      Financial Administrative Investigation

General Findings

The general findings revealed a decline in the quality of education in primary school education since November 2022 when the school received a basic level of quality.

In the meeting with the inspectorate in November 2023, the school already stated the decline in quality. The subsequent disclosure of financial challenges which led to the dismissal of several staff members, such as a Dutch and ESL teacher resulting in further deterioration. Additionally, the absence of essential positions impedes efforts to enhance educational quality.

In response to the general findings, the Executive Council will be engaging with the Ministry of OCW and the Inspectorate to initiate discussions on improving education quality on Saba and preventing further decline. This will be in close cooperation with the school where an improvement plan is already in place.

The report being developed by the Inspectorate will undergo a review process, with the first draft expected in the upcoming 6-8 weeks. A response from the schools will be required before the final version is submitted to the Ministry of Education.

As the financial administrative investigation is still ongoing, the Executive Council is closely monitoring the situation and remains in contact with relevant authorities to provide necessary support. We will continue to keep the public informed as more information becomes available.

GIS.