DNA member Poetini Atompai resigned from his position as chair of the standing Education committee of De Nationale Assemblée (Suriname’s parliament) on 21 August 2026. In a statement posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday, 30 September, he writes that insufficient progress is being made in resolving education-related problems. According to him, pupils, students, teachers and parents experience the consequences of this on a daily basis.
“I cannot continue to bear responsibility as chair for an approach in which necessary measures fail to materialise and children pay the price,” Atompai states. He calls his departure a principled political signal and stresses that he will continue to advocate for education as a parliamentarian.
One of the bottlenecks he cites concerns sixteen Master’s students in Accountancy at the Anton de Kom Universiteit van Suriname. According to Atompai, they have completed all components of their studies, but are unable to graduate due to financial obstacles. His statement does not specify exactly what those obstacles entail.
He also points to the shortage of teachers. As a result, pupils in Moengo and Albina have reportedly been unable to attend classes for a considerable period. In the interior and the south of the country, children are moreover still in overcrowded classrooms, he writes.
Atompai states that during two budget debates, he had to conclude that there is no concrete and workable plan for a structural solution to the teacher shortage. In addition, school renovations began too late, according to him. Just before the start of the new school year on 1 October, there are still children who cannot be properly placed and schools with insufficient classrooms, the parliamentarian says.
According to Atompai, since preparations for the 2025 school start, he has repeatedly urged timely measures to ensure an orderly start to the school year on 1 October 2026. He says he has made his voice heard, exerted pressure and put forward proposals, but considers the pace at which the problems are being addressed “unacceptably low”.
“My warnings and calls have insufficiently led to the necessary decisiveness. As a result, I have too often felt like a voice crying in the wilderness,” he writes.
According to Atompai, stepping down as chair does not mean saying farewell to the education portfolio. As a member of De Nationale Assemblée, he will continue to closely monitor policy and advocate for pupils, students, teachers and parents.
“Count me out when it comes to delays, excuses or half measures. I stand for a government that acts and delivers concrete results,” Atompai said.
