Education minister takes firm stance against foreign students
(Antigua Sun) – A stern warning has gone out to non-national parents who may be pondering getting their children into the school system next term.

If the children are in the country vacationing, the Ministry of Education has firmly stated that they will not be enrolled in any educational institution under the government’s oversight in Antigua and Barbuda.

“This year, September 2009, persons who come to Antigua and Barbuda, we are saying to them please enjoy your vacation and return to your country,” Minister of Education Dr Jacqui Quinn-Leandro said during a press conference on Thursday.

“The Ministry of Education will not be issuing any sort of approval for persons who come on vacation and decide when the vacation is up that they are going to stay and attend school.”
Quinn-Leandro made it very clear that the education system cannot take any more non-nationals because there isn’t enough space to comfortably accommodate them.

“It is putting a strain on the education system; we hardly have space in the schools,” Quinn-Leandro said.

The education minister believes that Antigua and Barbuda is waking up to the fact that the movement of people throughout Caricom is having an adverse impact on the social services, not only in the area of education but also in the health services.

According to her, the ministry and the Immigration Department are working together to curb what seems to be a practice.

“Between today and tomorrow, when we place those children who passed in secondary schools, we are pulling out our hair to find places. It is difficult to find places for the children who pass and still find places for persons who are coming in on vacation,“ Quinn-Leandro added. The minister acknowledged that because of Antigua and Barbuda’s Education Act, the government has given some amount of leeway but made it clear that from September 2009, this will not be the order of the day.

The Sun understands that the Immigration Department holds on to a children’s passport if they come to the country on vacation.

Minister of National Security Dr Errol Cort is currently spearheading a team, which will help to formulate an immigration policy for Antigua and Barbuda. This is expected to cover several areas including education and health.

The issue of immigration has recently become a hot button subject not only in Antigua and Barbuda but also throughout the region.