I am Saskia Plein. Since March 2008 I am Programme Assistant for PROGRESS at VVOB. I am a jurist and used to work as a legal adviser at the Ilse Henar-Hewitt Foundation for Legal Assistance. A nice job, but, I needed a change. I wanted to do something with developing cooperation, preferably within the educational sector. I myself passed through the Surinamese school system. I experienced the need for educational change and reform. Also today, I still see that need. I immediately think of my daughter who will go to the primary school within four years… and of other small Surinamese children. That is why I am happy that I can work at VVOB.
VVOB is a good place to bring changes to the educational system in Suriname. VVOB supports the Ministry of Education for some years now, especially with the execution of educational reforms. As Programme Assistant I have the feeling that I really contribute to the reforms. I give two examples. I participate in the writing of a professionalization policy for the Surinamese educational sector. This policy will give teachers, instructors and education officials a chance to professionalize themselves. I already look forward to the application of this policy! Furthermore I also assist with the elaboration of Surinamese-Flemish school links. Via the school links we can create world citizens. We give the schools the chance to make more international contacts. In that way we can give our pupils another view of the world outside their own country.
I am really proud about my job. Sometimes all these change processes go a bit slower than I would like, as we prefer to coordinate and cooperate with the Ministry. Sometimes that involves more work than we foresee, but we consider that fine-tuning essential. I am convinced that PROGRESS will bring progress to our educational system.
