The new interim direc­tor for Saba Comprehensive School (SCS), Marco de Vries, was introduced to parents and members of the community on Wednesday evening during a town-hall meeting hosted by Saba Educational Foundation (SEF).

De Vries served as an Interim Director for various schools in the Netherlands for eight years before moving to Saba.

Parents and members of the community received an update on the school’s state of affairs following the recent resignation of principal Jessica Besselink and a recent negative report by Dutch education inspectors.

The Inspectorate conducted an investigation between 2023 and 2024, which concluded that SCS’s supervisory board lacked a sound policy framework. Highlighted was the board’s poor financial oversight and its inability to ensure the continuity and quality of education at SCS. A restructuring of the supervi­sory board took place late last year after the previous supervi­sory board was dissolved.

The new board members also officially introduced themselves at the town hall.

Devi van Groningen is board chairman, while Quirine Hak­kart holds the post of vice-chair. Rounding out the board are members Hansko Broeksteeg and Theo Telting.

Broeksteeg, although based in the Netherlands, will provide advice on vocational education. Telting is a public policy advisor who is also based in the Nether­lands.

De Vries explained that the new supervisory board will have a two-tier structure. The board will serve as his sparring partners in policy and financial decision-making.

The participation council, con­sisting of four persons, will also play a pivotal role. De Vries and the supervisory board will meet with the participation council every 40 days. Sub-committees have also been formed within the supervisory board, such as a remuneration committee, au­dit committee and educational committee.

Hakkart said the new board will focus on governance, fi­nance and educational policy. The board is in the process of changing the foundation’s stat­utes and implementing checks and balances.

Hakkart also said the school will have a full staff for the up­coming school year, which was a challenge in the last school year with several core subject teach­ers being absent.

Hakkart noted that the level of the Dutch language contin­ues to be a concern. Since 2022, the Dutch Ministry of Educa­tion, Culture and Science OCW implemented a new policy that students in the Caribbean Vo­cational Qualification (CVQ) programme needed to pass the B1 Dutch exam to graduate, while students in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certifi­cate (CSEC) programme need­ed to pass the B2 Dutch exam. This could not be achieved this year for the graduating class, so OCW allowed an exemption for students to receive their high school diplomas. Hakkart acknowledged that this is only a short-term solution, and said the board will work together with OCW to come up with tan­gible long-term solutions.

The Daily Herald.