PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — With a majority of the island’s secondary school students in the vocational tract, it is no surprise that many often want to continue their education at higher level. Having the right information can often make a world of difference to these future professionals.
With this in mind, the Student Support Services Division (SSSD) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport will be hosting a workshop entitled “My PBL, PKL and TKL Education and Beyond” on Thursday, November 3, 2022 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM in Rooms 202-203 at the University of St. Martin.
“The aim is to inform the graduates of PSVE/VSBO and their parents about the options for further education and also to offer them more clarity on the subject matter,” SSSD officials indicated. They added that many times graduates from PSVE/VSBO complain that they cannot find schools or there are not many options for them, but many fail to realize that there is no cookie cutter approach to education.
“Some parents are not even aware of what the system entails,” SSSD officials said while stressing that these parents should also attend this workshop.
The Voorbereidend Secundair Beroepsonderwijs (VSBO) or Preparatory Secondary Vocational Education (PSVE) system has three sections – PBL, PKL and TKL and each offer different options. The Milton Peters College is the only secondary school that offers all three sections while the St. Maarten Academy and Sundial School only offer two (PBL and PKL). The graduates from these vocational schools have the possibility of continuing their education in St. Maarten, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, the Netherlands, United States or Canada, but they have to be aware of what their options are and what it takes to be successful, SSSD official said.
“Rather than complaining, it is wiser to obtain information from workshops like these, the schools themselves or research what options there are for continuing your education,” SSSD officials said. The workshop, which is open to students in the last two years of the PBL, PKL and TKL sections and recent graduates and their parents, will highlight many study or educational opportunities for these students. The specific requirements for success and the technicalities will also be outlined.
“Moving from vocational education to a higher level or even to academic education is often not without its challenges, but it can be done and it is up to the individual,” SSSD officials indicated.
The “My PBL, PKL and TKL Education and Beyond” workshop will highlight both opportunities to study in English as well as in Dutch. Students are encouraged to register, in advance for the workshop since space is limited. If parents or students have any questions on these workshops, they can contact the Student Support Services Division at telephone 543-1235 or studentsupportservices@sintmaartengov.org for more information.
The Student Support Services Division (SSSD) provides services to students referred by the schools such as psychological services, counseling services, social work services, educational diagnostic services, speech language pathology services. SSSD also provides general services such as career services, parent sessions and crisis response.
