“You can expect everything from this minister”

Although Education Minister Robert Peneux has made it clear that the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (MinOWC) has no plans to extend school hours to 3 p.m., the Teachers’ Association (BvL) and the Alliance for Teachers in Suriname (ALS) will not let their guard down. “You can expect everything from this minister. He is unpredictable,” said the chairman of the BvL and the ALS, Wilgo Valies who added that in the past the minister often said one thing but did another thing. The union chairman acknowledged that he does not have specific information regarding the extension of school hours but explained that that he received information from sources within the Roman Catholic Education (RKBO). Valies explained that the rule would not only apply to Christian schools but to all the other schools as well. “That is why we are concerned. If the RKBO adopts the rule, it is doing so with the ‘blessing’ of the Ministry of Education,” said Valies. Minister Peneux pointed out that there is no agreement with the RKBO schools regarding the extension of school hours. But the minister’s explanation has not put Valies’ mind at ease. “When he realizes that the union members are starting to get curious, he says and does different things as if there is nothing going on. We are familiar with the actions of this minister,” said Valies who added that the BvL and the ALS deemed it necessary to sound the alarm. “We will not wait around idly for unexpected surprises.”