This is one of the agreements made during the Ministerial Four-Country Meeting OCW (M4LO) in Bonaire. Each year, the ministers of education, culture, and science from Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the Netherlands meet during M4LO. The Netherlands also represents Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba in this meeting.
Minister Moes: We want to fully utilize all talent in our kingdom. Together with my fellow ministers from the other three countries of the Kingdom, we have worked hard over the past years to increase cooperation between the Caribbean region and the Netherlands in education, culture, and science. This has been successful. A strong network of teachers, counselors, and supporters has emerged in the Netherlands and on the islands that assists young people from the Caribbean part of the kingdom in making the right study choices and developing their talents.
The SEA program offers, among other things, kingdom scholarships for students at MBO, HBO, and WO levels for study exchanges or internships in another part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. They also receive better guidance. Universities of applied sciences and MBO institutions in the Netherlands collaborate within the SEA program to improve the enrollment and progression of Caribbean students. Increasingly, universities of applied sciences and MBO institutions have special introduction days or mentoring programs for young people from the Caribbean region. Each year, more than 1600 young people from this part of the Kingdom start studies in the Netherlands.
Furthermore, the ministers have decided to collaborate with educational institutions to promote braingain (retaining and attracting talent). The goal is to interest young people in working in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom to counteract labor shortages.
Another step in strengthening education in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom is the expansion of the successful partnership Kibrahacha. This program currently focuses on training teachers for primary education in Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. Soon, teacher training for secondary education and vocational education will be added. Sint Maarten and the Netherlands are also exploring whether a similar initiative can start in the Windward Islands. Kibrahacha combines traditional teacher training with practical classroom experience. School trainers play an important role in guiding future teachers on the job.
Finally, during the M4LO, a procedure was established for joint nominations for the UNESCO Intangible Heritage list on behalf of the entire Kingdom. The craft of the miller, the corsoculture, and the summer carnival in Rotterdam are already on this list on behalf of the Netherlands.
