Opinion: Bullying Isn’t Only Done by Children.

Dear Editor,

I was talking to a parent a few days ago and she told me that prior to Hemmie Van Xanten’s arrival the situation at SCS was deplorable.  Gangs, bullying, fighting and calling the police were the norm and since he became the director all that stopped.  I think some of the credit for the improvement at the school is due him since the dramatic changes occurred on his watch but there’s a flip side to this argument. It’s the SEF Board.

The board lives in its own bubble.  In fact, they may have gone where no woman have gone before.  In case you didn’t know, I took the liberty of changing man to woman in the prior sentence and it’s from Star Trek the popular television show that has had many different lives over the years. I think the metaphor is perfectly clear, these three women, Tabetha, Maureen and Raquel do not live in this world.  They live in a fantasy and they haven’t got the message as yet that bullying is unacceptable but they persist.

When a child is out in the world, parents worry about them.  They say the silent prayer that their child will return home safe and unharmed since parents know the nasty ways of the world. SCS’s management and parents worked diligently to eliminate bullying, however these three ladies haven’t received the message as yet.  They bully teachers and they bully parents. They use their power, each and every day, to bend the school’s management and the parents to their concept of the world and that’s bullying. They don’t resort to physical violence. They don’t use gang mentality to subjugate those who they perceive as weaker. They simply denying the teachers a job and they ignore the parents.

I’ve been wondering why this crises has been allow to fester. It began in early April and then I had an epiphany. I’ve concluded that the board been waiting for the new teachers to be hired so when they do face the wrath of the parents they can say confidently and smugly we have all new teachers, not to worry.  But that isn’t true because the new Dutch teacher turn them down. The board has also been waiting for Nolly Oleana to come. This board lacks confidence to meet face-to-face with parents because they need the man to handle the parents and protect them. It isn’t the first time that a woman in a position of power needs a stronger man to force us to kneel.  Two board member’s term is coming to an end.  These two women want to ensure that their decisions cannot be reversed before they step down but since there is no transparency we will never know if they stepped down, sought and won reelection or just decided to coop their positions for as long as it suits them.

Finally I come to the government.  There have been letters, meetings by various people with various people and with Commissioner Johnson and Executive Council. They all sing from the same hymnal.  There isn’t anything they can do. Wasn’t the board in 2012 dissolved? If the answer to my question is yes why can’t they do anything now? The answer is obvious. They support the board’s action for whatever reason. Silence is support.  Inaction is support.  It’s been reported that they are coming to today’s meeting. That is certainly a turn in events. They all need Nolly Oleana, the man of the hour, to set us right and to restore peace to the kingdom. Except Saba is the only school in the region where the students are passing. Schools in Statia and Bonaire are disaster and The Second Chamber is launching an investigation in October.

I think someone needs to talk me down off the ledge.

Friend of the parents