photos: st maarten students attend 'mock trial' at the courthouse philipsburg, st maarten PHOTOS JUDITH ROUMOU

THE LITTLEST ST MAARTEN ENTREPENEURS photos judith roumou

Many in the South Reward and St Peters area will recognize this little boy, his brothers and their dog. They are of Haitian descent, but were born and raised in St Maarten. Almost every afternoon you will see them with their dogs walking or riding their bicycles. They always have fresh fruits that they just picked to sell. They pick limes, mangoes, genips, pommeserretes whatever is in season. And they go door to door and business to business and sell. Sometime the chinese have run out of something, so they buy it fresh for these boys. These boys are not bling-blinging, the money they earn goes to their mom for school supplies, books, uniforms and groceries. They also can afford to feed their own dogs, which MANY ADULTS won't do in St Maarten.
Biggups to the young St Peterz Hustlaz ! :)
photos judith roumou

PICKING UP YOUR CHILDREN WHEN SCHOOL HOURS ARE OVER.....WHO'S RESPONSIBILTY?

I can't tell you how many dangerous situations I've seen around St Maarten schools. The Well opened right by the Sister Magda, people pump water and leave the lid open, while innocent children skip by. In Philipsburg and on the LB Scott Road is where you see the real problem. When school is over, there is a period where NO ONE is supervising these kids. They're on the streets, waiting to be picked up by bus or auto, and there is NO supervision. Now last week the bus almost hit another Oranje school student who ran out in the road on Backstreet. I promised him that I would blog some more about the issue, but I've blogged about this already. Who ever heads The Education Dept. I guess is waiting for a tragedy, before anything will be done.

photos judith roumou

BEATING CHILDREN IN ST MAARTEN SCHOOLS……CORPORAL PUNISHMENT AND DISCIPLINE

I’m intentionally using a generic picture of a school. A mother has complained about her child being beaten at this St Maarten school. He is about 5 years old. He is hyperactive etc. The mother says that she has been to the principal, the teachers and even the police about these allegations. She said that she tried to get the principal to intervene, to no avail. I have a picture of the school etc.. But these are allegations.
Basically when it comes to disciplining children in the St Maarten school system, I believe that it is against the law to discipline a child physically, which is also known as “corporal punishment”. Back in the day, we were allowed to be beaten at our Catholic schools etc, but the laws say that a teacher cannot lay a hand on a child, there has to be alternatives used to keep a child in line. Many believe in the “beat and teach” method, but having worked with abused children, I believe beatings backfire more than they do good, and tends to ‘harden’ a child.
And then we have some parents who will take things into their own hands.

this blog was written by me originally on another blog.

ST MAARTEN CHILDREN