PARAMARIBO – “I am relieved because I found a spot for my daughter at a local school. This means that I will not have to spend a lot of money on bus fare,” said Latoya Pinas, a mother of three who went to the Mr. Dr. J.C. de Miranda Lyceum on Thursday. Her daughter, Shaniqua Pinas explained that she has always wanted to go to the Lyceum and that she is therefore happy that she found a spot at this high school.

 She reportedly wants to become a doctor. The enrollment at the nation’s high schools started this week. The principals of these high schools told Times of Suriname that the enrollments went smoothly because the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture did most of the work by putting them at schools located near their home.

But not all of the students who passed the final exam of the Mulo school found a spot at a high school. Samantha Smith did not find a spot at the Henry Hassankhan Scholengemeenschap (HHS) but was put at a school located in the capital. This means that she will have to wake up early in the morning to catch a bus to her school which is located in the city. The classes at the  high schools start at 7 a.m. Samantha hopes that she can find a spot on the state school bus. Not all parents have found a spot at a high school. Dwight Korsten who wants his son to go to Havo explained that he still has not heard back from the Ministry of Education even though he has filled in all of the paperwork. His son who is 15 years old scored enough points to jump from the eleventh grade to a high school. This means that he has chosen to skip the 12th grade…[+]