WILLEMSTAD — Education-minister Omayra Leeflang (PAR) has no intention to yield to the threat of summary proceedings by the two medical universities. If the registry-organization Faimer has any questions on the St. Martinus University (SMU), they are welcome to address her. According to the minister, this commercializing forms a great danger for the quality.
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"The issue is that the charter (establishment confirmation, red.) no longer offers sufficient guarantee. The World Healthcare Organization WHO requires acknowledgement from the minister", says Leeflang.
She states that she does not have the legal authorities for this. Moreover, she cannot acknowledge an educational institute without quality control and guarantee. However, she emphasizes that it regards the newer institutes, such as the SMU and Caribbean Medical University (CMU) in the WTC. "Have you ever heard of any problems with the university on St. Maarten?"
The minister does not fancy the entire issue of charters. The confirming statement of establishment, which the medical universities on the Windward Island and Bonaire dispose of, has been accentuated by the WHO three years ago according to the minister, when the institutes ‘started shooting up like mushrooms’.
Regarding the SMU on the Brionplein – which had been coping with serious financial problems during the past summer months and was threatened to be closed down definitely – she recently, upon request, confirmed in writing to Faimer that the university was operational. However, until this day, that did not appear to be sufficient to remove the announcement from the Imed-register that SMU was closed. For that matter, Leeflang has not received a supplementary request for information, in any case, not from Faimer. It was the SMU, who requested the minister to provide Faimer with supplementary information, to draw up a statement together. Leeflang: "Of course, this is peculiar. How could I provide SMU with a statement on their instruction?"
Legal basis
The minister emphasizes that the legislation is normative as far as she is concerned "and I would not know on which basis I would have to acknowledge those institutes". According to her, a proliferation has existed on the medical institutes, which deviates from the original intention. "Previously, it was offshore. Then it concerned a campus of an acknowledged American university in the tropics. Now it is entirely onshore and independent. The shares are constantly consigned to others. In that case, I would also require quality control."
After all, the registry-organization does ask the question whether graduates are allowed to work in the Antilles. In the case of acknowledgement, it also regards issues such as study financing. In the case that Leeflang would comply with the wishes of SMU and CMU, there is the concrete danger of ‘a devaluation which no one wants to think about’.
The minister emphasizes that the legislation is normative as far as she is concerned "and I would not know on which basis I would have to acknowledge those institutes". According to her, a proliferation has existed on the medical institutes, which deviates from the original intention. "Previously, it was offshore. Then it concerned a campus of an acknowledged American university in the tropics. Now it is entirely onshore and independent. The shares are constantly consigned to others. In that case, I would also require quality control."After all, the registry-organization does ask the question whether graduates are allowed to work in the Antilles. In the case of acknowledgement, it also regards issues such as study financing. In the case that Leeflang would comply with the wishes of SMU and CMU, there is the concrete danger of ‘a devaluation which no one wants to think about’.
The acknowledgement issue should actually not be necessary. For that matter, private educational institutes, for example the Vespucci College, Luzac, and the University of the Dutch Caribbean also do not operate with government acknowledgement, but have their own quality control through for example foreign educational institutes. The UNA is the only acknowledged professional education by the government that also applies to a land regulation.
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