BOE endorses wider scope of free public education

The State Board of Education has moved to stretch the maximum age for free public education from 5 to 18 from the current 6 to 16, in support of a House initiative aimed at overhauling the public education sector.

Since public education is free for resident CNMI children up to the time they reach 12th grade, BOE and the Public School System have agreed to widen the age requirement to encourage all students to graduate from high school.

According to public school officials, every person within the Northern Mariana Islands who is between the 5 and 18 years old has the right to free public education.

Meanwhile, education leaders have objected to a provision of H.B. 12-158 that seeks to task the board to establish and maintain within each school year an annual instructional calendar of no less than 180 instructional days of class periods for students.

Charged with the responsibility of setting educational policy and determining curriculum for the public school system pursuant to the Commonwealth constitution, BOE believes it should establish and maintain for students from kindergarten through 12th grade an annual calendar of instructional days as it sees fit for the students.

BOE and PSS have also expressed opposition to another provision placing under the Department of Public Works the responsibility of constructing and undertaking major renovation work at public and school facilities.

“With respect to this, BOE and PSS respectfully inform the House that there are Capital Improvement Projects Committee and a CIP office addressing CIP issues for PSS.
These teams have the responsibility to meet standards and requirements to provide for the appropriate instruction, health and welfare of the students of the CNMI and we take this responsibility to the students very seriously.
With this in mind, we are unable to endorse an amendment that gives authority for construction and major renovations of PSS facilities to another government agency,” according to BOE Chair Frances Diaz and Education Commissioner Rita H. Inos.

Another section proposing that BOE and the Northern Marianas College Board of Regents hold a joint meeting annually every year to discuss pertinent educational issues did not sit well with members of the board.

The board said that while it acknowledges the importance of communication and coordination of educational services with BOR, a mandated joint meeting is not necessary to accomplish such goals.

The school system and BOE were also unable to endorse a certain provision under the bill seeking to amend a list of qualifications for the commissioner of education which states that he or she must have three consecutive years of responsible administrative experience, three consecutive years of full time teaching experience, and fluent in Chamorro/English or Carolinian/English.

According to BOE members, the board is in the best position to review the qualifications of an applicant and determine if the applicant will be a responsible and efficient commissioner.(MM)