News item | 08-06-2023 | 3:00 PM
At the invitation of the Surinamese government, Minister of Education, Culture and Science Robbert Dijkgraaf will travel to Suriname from 8 to 11 June. The work trip has two purposes. First of all, agree in which educational areas the Netherlands and Suriname will collaborate more closely and record this in a two-year partnership. In addition, Minister Dijkgraaf wants to gain more insight into how the slavery past lives and is felt in Suriname before the Commemoration Year of Slavery History starts in the Kingdom on July 1. Minister Dijkgraaf is coordinating minister for the Slavery Past Commemoration Year. In the run-up to the Memorial Year, he previously visited Saba, Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius, Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire.
Dijkgraaf: “In the run-up to the commemoration year, more and more hidden knowledge has come to the surface. I think we should also want to know more. Education plays an important role in this. By learning and understanding more about the slavery past, we get to know each other and our shared history better. The talks in Suriname also contribute to this. In this way we gain more insight into the needs and wishes that exist in relation to the commemorative year, and we work more closely together on better education.
Joint education agenda
During this work trip, Minister Dijkgraaf will meet the recently appointed Surinamese Minister Henry Ori, of Education, Science and Culture. The Netherlands and Suriname are working on a joint education agenda. This education agenda will soon be finalized by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This contains the priorities on which we will work together in the coming two years to improve education in Suriname and the connection with Dutch education. Minister Dijkgraaf, together with Minister Ori, visits schools in the Hanna’s Lust district, the university of applied sciences, among others Polytechnic Collegewhich focuses on vocational technical training and the Anton de Come University. In addition, Dijkgraaf will enter into discussions with the Education Inspectorate and directors of the Surinamese Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. The focus is on what we can learn from the Surinamese context in the field of education about the slavery past and how Surinamese education can be strengthened, using the knowledge and skills that the Dutch education system has in house.
Commemoration Year Slavery Past
A second goal of the work trip is a better understanding of the context in Suriname in the run-up to the Commemoration Year of Slavery Past and how this subject is lived through there. The history of slavery is a very painful, important and, until recently, underexposed part of our shared history. From 1 July 2023 to 1 July 2024, extra attention will be paid to this throughout the Kingdom. During this commemorative year, we reflect on our history and its impact on people’s lives today. Initiatives for this are being organized throughout the Kingdom. With this trip, Minister Dijkgraaf hopes to gain more insight into the wishes of the Surinamese government with a view to the upcoming commemoration year. How can we use education and culture to better understand the impact of the slavery past? With this question in mind, Dijkgraaf will be given a tour of the historic monument Fort Zeelandia, which also houses the Surinamese Museum. Dijkgraaf also talks about this with young people via SuConnect and NAKS, and the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors. The central question is how do young people see themselves in the world, their identity and history in relation to the slavery past? Finally, Dijkgraaf meets with the Surinamese government’s coordinating Minister of Slavery Past, Mr. Tjong Ahin