ORANJESTAD (AAN) – Aruba’s Ombudsman, Jurima Bryson, has sent a formal letter of concern to Minister of Education and Sports Gerlien Croes regarding the public announcement of secondary school examination results in Aruba.
While public celebrations of exam success have become a cultural tradition, the Ombudsman has received reports that certain methods of publishing results may negatively affect students who did not pass or who remain uncertain about their final outcomes.
According to the Ombudsman, the rights and interests of children should remain the primary consideration when announcing examination results. These rights include privacy, human dignity, and psychosocial well-being. Since many exam candidates are minors, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is also relevant to the issue.
The Ombudsman noted that public announcements can directly or indirectly identify students who did not pass, potentially causing feelings of embarrassment, stigmatization, and emotional stress.
As a result, the Ombudsman recommends that exam results be communicated individually and confidentially to students and their parents or legal guardians before any public announcement takes place.
In the letter, several recommendations were presented to the Ministry of Education, including the development of a uniform policy for announcing exam results, ensuring that privacy and student well-being remain central to the process. The Ombudsman also recommends that participation in public celebrations be voluntary and that schools increase awareness of children’s rights and privacy protection.
Additional information and the full letter of concern are available on the Ombudsman’s official website.
