PSS terminates night classes

Due to funding shortage, the Public School System has terminated the Advance Development Institute, a program that offers special night classes to individuals and students who are finding it difficult to return to school on a regular basis.

Education Commissioner Dr. Rita A. Sablan disclosed this to Saipan Tribune on Friday, saying the decision was a result of careful assessment and evaluation by the PSS management team.

“As of today, the ADI has been closed and all students that were in the program were recommended to continue to Northern Marianas College,” she said.

NMC, using $300,000 in federal grants, offers basic adult education, of which one of the program components cater to dropout students who want to obtain their high school diplomas.

Sablan admitted that funding shortages continue to affect the other programs of PSS.

“The reason behind is the financial condition that we’re experiencing. With the recent 5-percent across-the-board budget cut, it really added more challenges to us,” she said.

Because they feel NMC is more equipped to provide adult basic education, Sablan said that PSS is now communicating with the college about the transfer of ADI students to NMC.

“We did request the NMC president to allow the transfer of our students to their ABE program…and it’s happening now,” Sablan said.

The PSS commissioner, through the Education Board’s committee, earlier recommended the suspension of ADI starting in school year 2009-2010. However, Saipan Tribune learned that due to the recent budget cut, the decision was made to implement it this school year.

In terminating the program, an estimated hundred-plus dropout students may be affected annually, based on the program’s statistics in the last three years.

In 2000, the PSS-ADI noted its biggest enrollment of 190 students; it accommodated at least 90 enrollees each year thereafter.

A trimester program, the last session was held from Aug. 11 through Nov. 3 with 70 registered students—the lowest recorded by PSS.

Mostly composed of 19-year-olds, majority of enrollees were referrals from families in the community and referrals from the three biggest high schools on island—Marianas High School, Saipan Southern High, and Kagman High.

ADI served individuals who are 16 years old and older.

A total of 301 individuals have already graduated from the program since its inception.

PSS pays seven teachers and instructors to attend to the night sessions.

At the start of the program, PSS used “donations” to sustain its operations. Throughout the years, ADI remained an “unbudgeted program” of PSS.

Besides English and math classes, life-skill courses were offered at ADI. These included occupational knowledge, community resources, government law, health, consumer economics, and budget.

Last week, NMC reported a record turnout of attendees in the orientation for its ABE program. Nearly 150 students attended the session, the largest in the program’s 20-year history at NMC.