News item | 06-11-2025 | 6:45 PM
From more guidance on study choice to internship and study exchanges. The Strategic Education Alliance program (SEA) is an important initiative between governments and educational institutions of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the Netherlands. It wants to make the transition to further education easier in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom and better prepare students for study in the Netherlands or elsewhere. Today, this program to increase the study success of Caribbean students has been extended until December 31, 2028.
That is one of the agreements made during the Ministerial Four-Country Consultation OCW (M4LO) on Bonaire. Every year, the ministers of education, culture and science of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the Netherlands meet during M4LO. The Netherlands also represents Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba during this consultation.
Minister Moes: “We want to make full use of all the talent in our kingdom. Together with my fellow ministers from the other three countries of the Kingdom, we have worked hard in recent years to increase cooperation between the Caribbean region and the Netherlands in the fields of education, culture and science. That is successful. In this way, a strong network of teachers, supervisors and support staff has been created in the Netherlands and on the islands who support young people from the Caribbean part of the kingdom in making the right study choice and developing their talents.”
The SEA program offers, among other things, Kingdom scholarships for students at MBO, HBO and WO level for a study exchange or internship in another part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. They also receive better guidance. For example, universities of applied sciences and MBOs in the Netherlands work together in the SEA program to improve the inflow and progression of Caribbean students. More and more colleges and MBO institutions now have special introduction days or mentor programs for young people from the Caribbean. Every year, more than 1,600 young people from this part of the Kingdom start studying in the Netherlands.
The ministers have also decided to collaborate with educational institutions to promote brain gain (retaining and attracting talent). The aim is to interest young people in work in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom to combat labor shortages.
Another step in strengthening education in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom is the expansion of the successful partnership “Kibrahacha”. This program currently focuses on the training of teachers for primary education in Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. Teacher training courses for secondary education and secondary vocational education will soon be added. Sint Maarten and the Netherlands are also investigating whether a similar initiative can start on the Windward Islands. Kibrahacha combines traditional teacher training with practical classroom experience. School educators play an important role in guiding future teachers in the workplace.
Finally, during the M4LO, a procedure was established for joint nominations for the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List on behalf of the entire Kingdom. The miller’s craft, the parade culture and the summer carnival in Rotterdam are already on this list on behalf of the Netherlands.