The Tribune

BY SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Jerome Fitzgerald yesterday reiterated that he intends to table the Freedom of Information Act in the House of Assembly before the end of 2016.

In a press statement, Mr Fitzgerald, the minister with responsibility for FOIA, responded to the organizers of the “We March” protest, who in a letter to the Prime Minister Perry Christie on Monday, demanded the FOIA be tabled immediately.

“The Freedom of Information Bill Working Committee have been working diligently for over two years and from April to June 2016 engaged in an extensive consultation process holding public town meetings in five islands, participating as presenters at civil society meetings and made multiple appearances on radio talk shows,” the statement said.

“Additionally publications of the Bill and prepared Fact Sheets were made available through the daily newspapers and the websites of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the Office of the Attorney General and many civil society organisations also posted the Bill on their websites. All recommendations that were submitted were reviewed and considered. As a result, I have received a number of recommendations for changes to the Bill by the committee.

“I wish to reassure the public that every effort has been taken to ensure that the proposed Freedom of Information Act is thorough and comprehensive from the onset and we have used the FOIA of Trinidad and Tobago, Cayman, Jamaica, Canada and the United Kingdom as benchmarks.”

Mr Fitzgerald also defended his term as Minister after the “We March” organisation requested an overhaul of the educational system.

“The request for reform of our educational system is rather surprising as over the past four-and-a-half years that has been happening in a way that is unprecedented in the past 20 to 30 years in our country. More than two years ago, the National Education Committee was formed with the sole purpose of creating a bi-partisan policy for education,” the statement said.

“This body comprised former Ministers of Education, Bernard Nottage, Senator Carl Bethel, and Mr Alfred Sears;  it included representation from the Official Opposition by Mr Hubert Chipman; Mr Branville McCartney of the DNA; civil society as well as a cross section of education stakeholders. The outcome of the National Education Committee is the policy document called, “A Shared Vision for Education 2030” which is the road-map for educational reform from present to 2030. It is comprehensive, systematic and relevant to the needs of today’s learners; preparing them for the future.”

A FOIA was passed in early 2012 by the former Ingraham administration months before the last general election. However, there was no date for enactment.

When the Progressive Liberal Party assumed office that year, it said the legislation needed significant tweaking before it could be enforced.

Last year, the government released a revamped draft version of the legislation.

Mr Fitzgerald has previously said the implementation of the FOIA will cost about $2m.