Parmessar: “Education policy leads to chaos and uncertainty”

Rabin Parmessar, leader of the NDP faction, voiced strong criticism during the recent meeting of the National Assembly (DNA) regarding the severe problems within the Surinamese education system. He harshly criticized the current education policies and noted that the recent reforms implemented by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture (minOWC) have led to chaos rather than improvement.
According to Parmessar, the government’s impulsive and poorly thought-out decisions are endangering education and, consequently, Suriname’s future. “Parents and teachers no longer know how the transition between different levels works. Where is the careful planning required for such significant changes?” Parmessar questioned.
He pointed out that parents are forced to enroll their children in a system that is poorly prepared and about which they have little knowledge. “This only creates stress and uncertainty,” stated the NDP faction leader.
He added that this confusion is the result of what he described as the government’s lack of vision and incompetence. “This is yet another example of how the people are suffering from poorly conceived policy decisions.”
In addition to the confusion among parents and teachers, Parmessar highlighted the absence of essential resources for the education system. “Teachers are inadequately trained, necessary teaching materials are missing, and the practical classrooms needed for years 9 and 10 in secondary schools simply do not exist,” he said.
Parmessar expressed disbelief at how the government expects students to follow practical education effectively without the basic facilities in place. He also pointed out the severe issue of a lack of space in schools.
Many parents have tried in vain to enroll their children, only to be told by the ministry to wait for a phone call, Parmessar said. This problem of space shortage, according to Parmessar, is further exacerbated by the teacher shortage. He stressed that the situation has become untenable for many parents and students and called on the government to take immediate action to address this crisis.
Parmessar also addressed the problems caused by the establishment of the School Allocation Committee. He argued that parents are now being forced to send their children to schools far from home, without considering their financial situation.
Another concern Parmessar raised during the meeting was the policy of automatic promotion introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. He pointed out that this policy has resulted in an entire generation of students being promoted without regard for their competencies.
Parmessar also criticized the hiring of unqualified Spanish-speaking individuals without the necessary pedagogical qualifications. “How can the ministry allow these individuals to teach without the required qualifications? Why wasn’t the Institute for Teacher Training (IOL) involved to address this shortage?” he asked rhetorically. He warned that such decisions would further undermine the quality of education and cause the system to deteriorate even more.
Parmessar also addressed issues with the teaching staff and warned of a growing brain drain among teachers. He expressed concern over the dismissal of experienced officials in the education sector, warning that replacing them with politically motivated appointees would only put further pressure on education.
The faction leader presented several solutions to address the current education crisis. He suggested halting education reforms temporarily until the education system is fully developed and properly communicated to the stakeholders.
He also called for urgent measures to stem the brain drain of teachers and requested a thorough investigation into the spending of BEIP funds. Other proposals put forward by Parmessar included introducing evening or afternoon schools to alleviate the lack of space, providing scholarships to make the teaching profession more attractive, and introducing a one-year associate degree at the IOL to quickly address the teacher shortage.
“Primary education should end at year 8, so there is no longer any confusion about the illegal certificates now being issued in year 10,” he added.

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