Parliament President meets USM foundation-year students

The University of St. Martin said Parliament President Sarah Wescot-Williams joined its Caribbean Foundation Year students for the third weekly Pep Talk session. USM said she spoke about education, personal responsibility and preparation for future opportunities and challenges.

According to USM, Wescot-Williams also discussed Sint Maarten’s Constitution, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the composition of Sint Maarten’s government, and Parliament’s role and responsibilities. Students asked how government policies are developed and put into effect.

USM said the discussion turned to public transport, with students raising questions about regulations, fares and difficulties travelling to and from school. Wescot-Williams invited them to continue the conversation in a further discussion on governance and Parliament.

Shobhan Giterson, the students’ mentor, said the unplanned transport discussion showed students had views on issues affecting them. USM said the session followed earlier Pep Talks with Nkosazana Illis of Voices Foundation and Captain Peterson Boujorley of SXM Airways.

Wescot-Williams also spoke about her time as Commissioner of Education, USM said. She recalled that a two-week training programme developed into a 30-week foundation programme for students preparing for university-level studies.