EDUCATION Minister Ronald Jones has rubbished claims that the family at the centre of the contentious home-schooling debate are being targeted because they are of the Rastafarian faith.
His comments came yesterday at the end of a service to mark the start of Education Month, where he stressed that this is not the first case of a Rastafarian home-schooling their child in Barbados. He explained, however, that they had to go through the correct channels to ensure that they abide by the laws of Barbados.
The Minister’s comments came against the backdrop of a family of the Rastafari Jah Holy Faith, who were brought before the law courts for keeping their 12 and nine-year-old out of the school system. The matter has reportedly now gone as far as the intervention of the Child Care Board, raising questions as to whether the children would be removed from their home, pending a custody hearing scheduled for the end of the week.
Jones told the media yesterday, that he does not believe it is too late for a resolution in this case.
“Even now I believe the situation can be rescued. Do everything that has to be done under law, including application, making sure the environment is conducive, ensure that a curriculum is followed,” he stated.
“The Ministry is open to helping anybody who may not understand. I am making the assumption the family didn’t understand. If they didn’t make the approach. The hands are always there to lift them up.. we will help lift them up to do what has to be done correctly.”
While giving the media a synopsis of the home-schooling process, he stressed that persons must contact the Ministry of Education through the Chief Education Officer before permission is granted.
“But they must follow the curriculum...because we have a compulsory system of education. But we recognise the right of parents to home school. You could be commoner, Christian, Rastafari, etc. if you go and start to side-track the rules of the laws, confusion becomes the order of the day and we can’t allow that because every child has the right to be educated,” he asserted.
“If parents want to home-school the child, we come and speak... grant you permission in writing. Those parents are also visited routinely to ensure that they follow a curriculum that can add to the child overall. I don’t know all of the relevant details about this current one, but the Child Care Board is granted the responsibility for the safety, healthy and protection of children, and if they feel that such is now being compromised they have a right to intercede. Barbados is a country of laws, established by statute. And we have to all observe those laws and statutes,” he stated.
