The President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell last Thursday received a visit from Cycle 2 year 4 students and teachers from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Primary School.
School Manager Stuart Johnson said the teachers and students were excited about the educational trip and being able to hear first-hand about the functioning of parliament.
The students, teachers and a visiting parent were shown a brief video followed by an introduction about the structure of Government and how Parliament is one of the country’s key institutions of democracy.
The primary school student’s then role played as 15 Members of the House while seven role-played the Council of Ministers.
The students posed real life questions as Members of Parliament to their colleagues who were ministers where the latter were asked to respond with answers about the issues.
Some of the issues concerned the need for truancy officers, drugs, road network, high Gebe utility bills, teacher’s payments, pollution, running sewage, school necessities, crime, and the negative use/influence of Facebook among young people.
“I was impressed by their ability to be aware of the times we live in today. They were on point, when Sint Maarten became a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands as well as knowing the basic entities within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, such as the King and Queen, the Governor, and the other countries within the Kingdom,” President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell said on Sunday.
The primary school students who were very active during the role playing received a Parliament pin from the President of Parliament.
After the interactive presentation, the students received a tour of the House of Parliament.
From the onset of assuming the President of Parliament position, drs. Hon. Gracita Arrindell has invited various schools to the House, and has also visited schools in sharing and creating awareness about the role of parliament in modern day Sint Maarten.