Territorial Councilor Louis "Loulou" Mussington presented a new proposal of a language policy to the Territorial Council (COM) on Thursday, October 27, 2011.
The proposed language policy is to implement French and English as languages of instruction in the school system in the territory.
"This is the first step towards real change in our educational system. Until now the system only uses French as the language of instruction in all of the schools among our historically English-speaking native population. Resulting in a significant high drop-out rate among our children, and seriously affecting our boys," said Mussington.
"The organic law under which the new Collectivity is governed since 2007, allows us to adopt a bilingual educational system, but nobody in our local government worked at it consistently between 2007 and 2010."
Mussington an educator who has chaired the commission on education since December 10, 2010, said that, "My objective has always been for our commission to present a draft proposal to the council by October 2011."
Also addressing the council on Thursday evening was Jean Claude Helissey an educator and member of the commission. "We have to be ready to make proposals to the government of France, and not wait for them to make decisions for us," said Helissey a St. Martin native who is head of a bilingual program at a Guadeloupe base high school.
The eight-member commission is made up of COM councilors and educators, like Jean Claude Helissey, Dominique Louisy, Alex Richards, Lenny Mussington, Aline Choisy, Corine Brookson, Sylviane Judith and Carene Mills. "I want to thank all members of the commission for their hard work and dedication to this St. Martin specificity that will open new opportunities and increase successes for more of our people," said Mussington.
He emphasized that, "too much time was wasted over the five years while our children continue to drop out of school at an alarming rate."
"Studies all over the world and right here on our island continue to show the rate of success in our schools is directly related to mother tongue as language of instruction," said the councilor.
The new educational system will reflect the cultural reality of St. Martin, said Mussington, who is also a strong advocate for bilingual education. "It is possible through the organic law, but we need to push forward a new agreement with the government of France."
Loulou Mussington is president of the Movement for the Advancement of the People (MAP), an opposition coalition member in the Legislative Council.