The Ministry of Education, led by Minister Shawn Edward, on Monday announced the recruitment of four additional attendance officers to strengthen oversight in schools and curb chronic absenteeism among students across Saint Lucia.
Education Minister Shawn Edward described the initiative as long overdue, noting that for more than a decade, only one officer was responsible for monitoring attendance for the entire island.
“As we speak, it has been so for a very, very long time. There’s only one attendance officer in the Ministry of Education, and this individual is supposed to provide oversight for every school in the country, from Vieux Fort in the south to Gros Islet in the north, Soufrière in the west and Dennery on the east coast,” Edward explained.
He revealed that following discussions with Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre and the Ministry of Finance, Cabinet approved the appointment of four new officers. The expansion, he said, will allow for closer engagement with families and communities where absenteeism is a recurring problem.
“We will be recruiting four additional attendance officers to basically go into the communities and to engage families, parents in particular and students who have proven to be delinquent and not attending school with the degree of regularity that we believe they ought to be attending,” Edward stated.
Among the new appointees is former police commissioner Descartes Pelius, who will be responsible for Districts Five and Six, covering Micoud, Dennery, and Vieux Fort. Edward said Pelius’ background in law enforcement makes her well-placed to tackle the challenges of school absenteeism.
The Minister underscored that attendance officers will not only monitor but also investigate and intervene when necessary.
“Yes, well, it’s a combination of roles that are clearly spelt out in the terms of reference. The role of the attendance officer is a very, very important one. We want to know what is happening to every student beyond the school compound,” Edward noted.
He pointed out that absenteeism is particularly acute among boys, which has in some cases required education officials to step outside their formal job descriptions to make home interventions.
“We’ve had instances where education officials have had to go to homes and make interventions that are not even within their job description, just to try and salvage boys who would have fallen prey to some of the ills of society.”
Edward emphasised that the initiative forms part of a broader psychosocial development thrust by the government to ensure that children are not only present in class but also emotionally and socially prepared to learn.
“We will accentuate all we have to along the lines of the academics, but at the same time, we understand our responsibility to provide psychosocial support, to go into the community, and to understand and appreciate the dynamics that are militating against the good conscience of our students and the goodwill of our parents,” he explained.
Calling the expansion “a marked improvement” over the past, Edward said the new appointments reflect the government’s commitment to a balanced and supportive education system.
Five attendance officers for the whole island is not enough. Every district should have a full time attendance officer. Law enforcement background is not a pre requisite. However, the person needs to have enough on their daily schedule to be productive. Honestly, I think this is a waste of money.
It is the parent/caregivers responsibility to ensure that school age children attend school. If they are unable to fulfill their responsibility, then they should seek assistance/intervention.