The 2022 Sint Maarten Education Inspection highlighted major challenges in aligning education with the labor market and improving student progression in vocational education. The Council for Education and Labor Market (ROA), established under the Landsbesluit houdende algemene maatregelen Instelling van de Raad van Onderwijs en Arbeidsmarkt (LBham), is not yet operational due to the lack of an approved membership profile. Activating the ROA is essential for sustainable coordination between education and the labor market.
Additionally, a structural reform of secondary vocational education (PSVE/VSBO) is needed to strengthen student competencies, improve language and math outcomes, and enhance transitions to further education and the labor market in Sint Maarten, Curaçao, Aruba, and the Netherlands. The goal is to activate the ROA as a statutory advisory body and implement reforms in PSVE/VSBO and post-secondary vocational education, focusing on better labor market alignment, strengthened basic skills, and smoother student progression.