Open Letter to Ministry of Education

25 November, 2025

Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training
4th Floor, Francis Compton Building
Waterfront
Castries
Saint Lucia

Dear Kendall Khodra,

I am writing to express profound concern regarding the disturbing scenes widely circulating on social media from Nomination Day, November 21, 2025. The videos show children from several schools, most notably the Ave Maria School, lined up on sidewalks and on balconies waving red political flags, cheering partisan motorcades, and surrounded by teachers visibly displaying partisan umbrellas and flags. These recorded displays, occurring during school hours and clearly organized rather than spontaneous, represent a deeply troubling breach of the expected neutrality of our educational institutions.

What these videos reveal is not innocent excitement or civic education, but the apparent coordination of students, teachers, and possibly school leadership to support a political party’s campaign. Schools should never be used as staging grounds for political theatrics, and children must never be used as partisan props. The Ministry of Education bears the responsibility to ensure that all educational spaces remain politically neutral, safe, and free from manipulation, especially during an election period.

Grave Concerns:

1. Violation of political neutrality
   These videos demonstrate a blatant partisan display that has no place in a taxpayer funded, publicly governed educational institution. Classrooms, schoolyards, and balconies are not platforms for political endorsement.
2. Exploitation of minors for political optics
   Children are impressionable and should be shielded from political influence, especially without the expressed consent of their parents, and not choreographed into political demonstrations. Using minors to project political enthusiasm is unethical and unacceptable.
3. Complicity or negligence by school staff
   Teachers and school administrators have a professional duty to uphold impartiality. Their visible participation suggests that this activity was sanctioned, encouraged, or at minimum permitted. This signals a serious failure in leadership and judgment.
4. Misuse of instructional time
   Students were clearly taken out of class for partisan displays. Academic time was sacrificed for political imagery. This erodes the core purpose of schooling.

Given the seriousness of what was captured on video and widely shared, I am calling on the Ministry to:

• Publicly denounce the use of students, school premises, and school time for partisan political activity.
• Clarify that schools must remain strictly non partisan at all times, especially during elections, and remind principals and teachers of their legal and professional obligations.
• Launch an immediate investigation into the events at the Ave Maria School, as well as any other schools involved, to determine who authorized or facilitated the partisan displays.
• Take appropriate disciplinary and administrative action where necessary to ensure accountability.
• Issue and circulate clear, updated guidelines on political neutrality in schools, with mandatory compliance for all staff.

Students should indeed learn about democracy, but through non partisan, educational approaches, such as:

• Classroom lessons on how elections work, civic rights and responsibilities, the role of Parliament, and the importance of voting.
• Mock elections using fictional candidates or issues, ensuring no real political party or figure is being promoted.
• Visits or presentations from the Electoral Department or neutral civic educators, not political candidates or party operatives.
• Structured discussions that teach critical thinking, respect for differing viewpoints, and the principles of democratic participation.

These approaches build informed citizens without exposing children to manipulation or partisan influence.

If the Ministry fails to firmly address this matter, it risks setting a dangerous precedent where any school, any teacher, or any political actor feels empowered to use children for political display and partisan advantage. This must not be normalized. Our children should be protected from political exploitation, and our schools must remain sacred spaces dedicated to learning, safety, and neutrality.

I therefore urge your office to act swiftly, decisively, and publicly to restore confidence in the Ministry’s stewardship of our education system.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,
Minerva Ward
Concerned Citizen of Saint Lucia