Caught between SKOS, the Ministry and the law

“The scissors were held above his head while the teacher pretended to cut his hair. “If you won’t cut it, I can do it for you!” With dread in his heart he joined his classmates in laughing at this situation, pretending that this entire scene did not frighten him. At home tears streaked down his face when he told his parents what had happened at school that day.”

This is not a scene from a movie or a passage from a book. This is one of the incidents that was brought to our attention, which took place in one of our primary schools just a few weeks ago.

Since SKOS published their letter (August 18th 2025) in response to the pending legislation against hair discrimination, everything seemed to have quieted down. However, behind closed doors a silent battle continues between the parents, their children and the SKOS school board.

Despite the responses from parents, the petition which was offered to the Ministry of Education by the “Abolish Hairstyle Rules Movement” (which was signed by over 1000 people) and the clear message from our teenagers through Teen Times’ legislation proposal, SKOS continues to pretend that this is an issue only felt by a handful of parents.

To be clear, our battle is not with school rules and regulations, our issue is with discrimination against children with curls and coils who are being forced to cut their hair instead of wearing it the way nature intended it to grow from their scalp.

While the Catholic church happily accepts African people in African churches with their natural (protective) hairstyles, we on the Caribbean islands are still trying to silence and change the descendants of our enslaved ancestors. Trying to force them to conform to Eurocentric colonial standards and rules.

The Ministry of Education was clear: while the new legislation is pending, ALL schools are required to follow the directions of the Ministry. Punishing, suspending or expelling a child because of their hairstyle will not be condoned.

For anyone who is confused on the matter: St. Maarten's anti-discrimination laws already prohibit unfair discrimination, particularly under its 2012 Criminal Code. The new legislation will expand protections for equal treatment against hair discrimination.

In light of recent publications displaying disrespect towards the Ministry of Education and the Honorable Minister Melissa Gumbs, one has to wonder where the priorities of the school boards lie. What are you teaching our children when you blatantly ignore the law and proudly proclaim you are above it? Being part of “bijzonder onderwijs” does not exempt you from abiding by basic laws of a country. Moreover, creating a safe discrimination free environment should be high on any school’s priority list.

We are still waiting for the focus of SKOS to be solely geared towards increasing the quality and accessibility of education. The low graduation rates of Milton Peter’s College are directly linked to the low level of comprehension of the Dutch language. Language skills which are taught in primary school.

Low graduation rates abroad fall in an 80% passing rate. Our largest High School has a passing rate of 65%. Where is the concern for these poor outcomes and what is the plan of all primary schools to give our children a better foundation to build on during their high school years?

Instead, some school boards choose to continue to argue about a child’s fundamental human right to show up to school looking like themselves. Representing their heritage and traditions.

Let’s continue to focus on trivial matters and ignore the shaky foundation we are giving our children. The bad example our school boards are setting for all our children to see. And then when the next graduation rates are published, let’s all collectively sigh and hold our hands to the heavens and proclaim that we do not understand why our children are not performing on the same level as their peers abroad.

It is time the adults on Sint Maarten take responsibility for not allowing the educational system to evolve into what it needs to be for our children to be able to secure a stable future.

We have to stop leaning back and pretending that things will change for the better because we voted for this or that person. It is not enough to assume that parental involvement alone can ensure a better outcome, when teachers, principals and school boards stop our children and their families from finding the right support.

The curriculum and the people in charge of executing it, need to be held accountable for the poor outcomes. When the educational system is up to par and the outcomes are still poor, then we can explore cause and effect. Until that time pointing fingers is only a tool of distraction from the lack of accountability and responsibility of the school boards to evolve.

Our current school system which is based on a curriculum from 1925, was designed to produce factory workers. In a time where all factories are automated and run by robots and computers we need to update the system to produce young adults who can prosper in this new reality.

It seems outrageous to have to point this out, but this necessary change starts with supporting the Ministry of Education in their efforts and abiding by the law of our country.

Yours sincerely, the Abolish Hairstyle Rules Movement

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