BOE chairman chides Heinz for comments

Rep. Heinz S. Hofschneider should apologize to students of Saipan Southern High School—and all public high school students for that matter—after the independent gubernatorial candidate reportedly said high school students in the CNMI could not even put a sentence together.

Board of Education chair Roman C. Benavente said a number of students, from SSHS in particular, called his office and complained about the comments made by Hofschneider during last week’s gubernatorial debate at World Resort Saipan.

In the debate, Hofschneider scored Gov. Juan N. Babauta’s Education Initiative that gives away free laptops to high school students, saying that the money would be better spent in making students learn the basics—reading, writing, and math

Benavente said he wants to express his disappointment with the gubernatorial candidate’s statements but clarified that he was not expressing his opinion because he was favoring other candidates.

“I am speaking as the chair of the Board of Education,” he said, adding that he is just defending students of the CNMI Public School System. “I was shocked by the [Hofschneider’s] quote. It is very antagonistic, arrogant and degrading.”

The board chair said the issue would be discussed during tomorrow’s BOE meeting. He added that he is challenging the congressman to help in passing the PSS’ budget.

Benavente said Hofschneider should focus more on passing the PSS budget in its entirety so the education system he is criticizing would improve.

“That’s what he should be doing instead of bluntly criticizing the students,” he said.

He added that some students at SSHS are already planning to send out letters to the media for clarification and for their own defense.

“Mr. Hofschneider, with due respect, you should understand that education is a learning process,” Benavente said.

Hofschneider said during the debate that rather than laptops, the money should be spent to improve the students reading, writing and math skills.

“They cannot even put a sentence together,” Hofschneider had said.

Under his Governor’s Education Initiative, the governor provided some $2.5 million worth of grants to the public schools.

The initiative included a $319,000 pilot Computers in the Classroom project, which was awarded to SSHS last year. Under the program, a laptop computer is given to each sophomore student, which can be used both at home and at school. If a student drops out prior to graduation, the computer shall be returned to the school.