BHRO says advocacy efforts led to additional examination time for Liseo High School students

BONAIRE--The Bonaire Human Rights Organization (BHRO), led by James Finies, stated that its advocacy efforts contributed to a decision granting additional examination time to local students of Liseo High School who sat their May 2026 examinations.

According to BHRO, the organization had been engaged in sustained advocacy on behalf of students and families who raised concerns about fairness and equal opportunity within Bonaire’s secondary education system. BHRO said the matter formed part of a broader effort to address issues related to education, language, equality, and the protection of students’ rights in Bonaire.

BHRO expressed appreciation to the parents, children, and families of Liseo High School who supported and encouraged the organization’s work. The organization also acknowledged the efforts of James Finies and Davika Bissessar Shaw in bringing attention to the concerns affecting local students preparing for their examinations.

As part of its advocacy, BHRO said it engaged in dialogue with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Dutch Ministry of Education, and the Government of the Netherlands. The organization also traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, where it presented a formal complaint before the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights during the 7th Periodic Review of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

In that submission, BHRO raised concerns regarding education, equality, language, and the protection of students’ rights in Bonaire. The organization said the case included concerns related to the right to education, protection against linguistic discrimination, minority and mother-tongue language rights, and equal access to fair and non-discriminatory educational assessment under international human rights law.

BHRO said it later submitted an official letter to the Dutch Ministry of Education and international human rights bodies requesting an additional 30 minutes for student examinations. Following that submission, BHRO said it received communications from the Dutch Ministry of Education and was informed that the Bonaire education case had been addressed within the Ministry of Education, the fixed committee on education, and the Second Chamber.

The organization said it was subsequently informed that students of Liseo High School sitting examinations in May 2026 would receive the additional examination time that had been requested.

BHRO described the decision as an important development for students in Bonaire and said it demonstrated the value of continued advocacy and engagement on issues affecting education and equality.

The organization said it remained committed to defending the rights of the people of Bonaire, particularly in the areas of education, equality, social justice, human dignity, and the protection of fundamental rights.

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