Suspension of kindergarten program gains ground

Unsure of additional revenues for the cash-strapped government, the chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee yesterday prodded the Public School System to suspend the kindergarten program so as not to hamper the mandatory free education in elementary and high school level.

Rep. Karl T. Reyes said PSS has no other option but to sacrifice the program due to the tight financial situation of the Commonwealth right now which is unlikely to improve within the next few months.

Although he acknowledged the benefits of the program to local families in preparing children before they reach school age, the representative maintained this is one program that the CNMI government will not be able to support at this time without affecting other vital services.

If worse comes to worst, special teachers for kindergarten classes can be absorbed by public schools to teach primary students, while terminating 90-day contractual employees to keep personnel costs at bay, according to Reyes.

“If there’s no money, what do you sacrifice,” he told in an interview. “You have to sacrifice those not in the law.”

Under the NMI Constitution, the island government must provide free education to children aged six to 16 years old. Not mandated under the law, kindergarten classes are open for those aged four to five years old.

Reyes said the government must not be burdened by programs that it cannot finance. “If we have to take the funding out from other departments, which are we going to cut?”

PSS officials, teachers and staff on Monday sought a meeting with Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio in hopes to prevent the suspension of the kindergarten program and further layoffs in the education sector.

The governor has not committed funds to the public schools, pointing to declining revenues as the main reason for his inability to meet the PSS request.

Tenorio has cut the current government spending level by 13.4 percent and has submitted a much lower budget package to the Legislature for Fiscal Year 2000, reflecting the continuous economic downturn on the island.

The Ways and Means Committee is expected to deliberate on the budget proposal within the next few months.

The Northern Marianas is reeling from its worst crisis in 50 years spawned by the prolonged recession in Asia, its main source of tourism revenues and investments.