Students of the Dominica State College (DSC) were unable to proceed with their exams today due to a major protest action staged in Salisbury earlier today.
Residents of the Salisbury community blocked the E.O Leblanc Highway, causing a pile up of traffic and a disadvantage to students travelling from that area to Roseau.
The residents say the government has neglected the area and the roads, especially farm access roads, are in a deplorable condition.
“Students taking exams today were unable to get to their exams, so in order not to disadvantage students who were caught up in this irresponsible protest, the college decided to postpone exams for the day,” President of the DSC, Donald Peters told Dominica News Online (DNO) during an interview Monday.
Dr. Peters continued, “Over a thousand students who spent weeks studying for their exams were denied the opportunity to take those exams.”
He described the situation as “sad and unfortunate” in Dominica and according to him, “I do share the frustration of the students who were victims of this situation.”
Dr. Peters said that some students have other exams tomorrow so as part of the solution, “we will offer all today’s exam on Saturday or add an additional, extra day to the exam schedule.”
Correction Mr. Peters said the protest afected the exams at his institution.
Mr. Peters said the afectd students who had to write exams at his institution. And why didn’t the protest afect students writing the CXC exams? All candidates were present to write their exams. The local regista was present to deliver the scripts to the center supervisors. Shame on you mr. Peters. You use the protest as your excuse for not having exams.
When the cliff fell at canefield I walked to fond cole and took the bus to Roseau. Got to school late but was excused. I pity the children who turned up after nights without sleep and were sent away to think of yet another few nights of stress.
I’m not a judge on whether the protest was necessary or not but I think that it is quite easy for any Government to forget the power of the people and become comfortable and laissez-faire if the people do not remind them from time to time that there is more power in the people than the people in power..this is one such case in point..Kudos to the brave people of Salisbury…however besides all that do we as Dominicans see how simple and easy it is to cripple the transport lifeline of Roseau to Portsmouth? By now shouldn’t we have at least one secondary alternative route from Roseau to Portsmouth?
Why are you protesting when there are plans being implemented and funds being negotiatedo to help you. It shows you lack proper info before you protest and your lack of patience and concern for other citizens who still don’t have proper access to their homes. Rome wasn’t built overnight. Every village can’t be done at the same time. Let’s be realistic, where would the monies come from and will you help keep it in good condition after its done for you. I’m curious if you were in office and others protested the same way what your reaction would be. We need to view situations from all different angles before reacting. Am I against your protest? No. But do it more sensitive to neighbors, our police and especially children.
You farmers must go elsewhere with your protests. You used the wrong area to do so. You should have stayed in Salisbury which is where you want the government to meet with you.
You are also causing problems and divisions in D/ca. Note how you disrupted traffic. Those who were affected had to go about their business but you did not care.
Look! There is a good way of staging your protest. Keep them off Roseau and the surrounding areas where D/cans utilize for work and for school.
The person you are trying to get after and to affect by protesting in that area is obviously not pleased. You are making the situation worst for you. We are not amused. Smarten up!
Better they miss school for the bigger good. At the rate things are going they will no longer have money to afford riding the bus or have food to eat to go school in the future because their parents who are farmers of this land will eventually completely lose their farming income.
Sacrifice this is called!….Our GOVT will never know about that!!!!!!
…….. Education should not be limited to the textbook and the class room, but rather we should use real life situations to guide learning and development. The impact of real life learning has much greater impact on the individual and is 10 times more likely to be remembered than a textbook chapter. Many students if not all will remember the road blocks of today, and the rescheduled exams. Fewer will recall selected chapters in the textbook they studied for the said exam.
Maybe this was a golden opportunity to have demonstrated to the students that in life, in the work place, there will be unforeseen and maybe every “crazy” situations. However, always be prepared for the unknown and never allow the unknown to derail their plans. Your decision to postpone the exams indicate that the protestors achieved one more goal, which maybe was not even on their list
Dr. Peters the Transport Board in Barbados (Owned by the Government) went on strike last week Wednesday morning (May 6). A half day strike that toke everybody off guard. There were 2 CXC/ CSEC papers on the said day. I am sure you relaise that the Transport Board provide the transportation for school students in Barbados. The Ministry of Education, not expecting such major disruption appears to have had a plan and students were able to write their exams as there are no delays with regional exams. Some schools also chartered buses and placed public announcements to get their students to school.
Mr. Peters, as a leader, what plans and actions do you have in place for unforeseen circumstances? What message are we sending to our future leaders, our students, when they are not prepared for the unforeseen?
TBC……
Interesting that he called it an “irresponsible” protest. Judging much?
Well, I remember when bridges were washed away and road works were being done, we students of the day walked for miles in the hot sun and in the rain to get to school. We took our shoes and socks off to cross the river to get a bus on the other side. We have lost our sense of commitment. That was no reason for students not to get to school. They could have gotten a bus on the other side. They chose to stay in the area of the protest to get ‘the bef’. We need to stop making everything political mileage of everything.
You re so very right! A whole set of saps we growing Dominica …a little wind and they break…chueeps man!
We are in the twenty-first century, in the year 2015.
You could state the same about protests. Were there any in those days you mentioned?
If nothing or or nobody’s life was affected, what would be the use of protest action? Have Dominicans – those old enough- forgotten the 47-day strike , masterminded by our current president? Why is protest action being declared illegal by some and irresponsible by others? Last week, in Barbados, a woman who was left stranded for 6 hours in the bus station asked why the drivers had not protested on a Sunday when there is hardly anyone on the road? Now how stupid is that? Protest must disrupt normalcy in order for it to be effective!
That’s not a protest that more looking like a clean up campaign..
First of all that’s a shame. Where all that garbage come from? That’s an eye saw for the village !!
Did you mean “eye sore”?
Eye saw? The eye saw the trash? The eye saw the wood and tree debris in the barricade? These ignorant peeps in Dominica….
Well Well That is all the UWP Government is all about PROTESTING, thus always causing some form of harm. Well what can one expect WHO IS THE LEADER OF THE PARTY!!!!!!! Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are. SHAME SHAME SHAME ON THE UWP Regime. THE PROTESTING TEAM
You know why. They lost the election and they cannot get over it. They have developed a trait to disrupt and divide Dominicans.
Yes! Birds of a feather flock together. I know and even more why I would never support UWP and as long as it has this leader. I do not like troublemakers; those who stir up trouble. Note also their comments on this Website. They really turn people off from supporting this Party. They do not know how to woo new members and supporters. Big mistake too.
I applaud you.. You learnt a new word “PROTESTING”. You deserve a sisserou bird for that.
Stupid comment.
dear idiot Neutral.this is not a political protest! all of salisbury cant be workers nor labour but most of them are farmers in need of the road to the fields………………….STOP PUTTING POLITICS IN EVERYTHING DOMINICANS NEED TO STAND UP FOR THEIR RIGHTS AND I APPLAUD THE PPL OF SALISBURY……..YOU NEED YOUR ROADS,YOU PAY TAXES……….NEUTRAL look at the bigger pic dame idiot
‘Neutral’? More like ‘Labour Sympathizer’
that is nothing to compare with the forty-seven day strike of 1977. the entire island was under total lock down.
@ Dr. Donald Peters:
sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good.
Do you honestly think that Dominica is the ONLY country in the world or even in the Caribbean to have daily life interrupted because of protests?
What if it had been a hurricane? Would you have said that the hurricane was ‘irresponsible’?
Dr. Peters, if a so-called accredited college is worth its salt, it would have contigency plans in place for every situation.
Stop playing your politics and let Democracy reign!
The word is “contingency”.
some of those protestors cannot even read and they still preventing those kids from doing their exams…SHAME!!!!
@dcan your comment is so dumb. Are you concerned about all the illiterate people within your party (the labor party), I know so many of them it is not funny. maybe right in your house you have one or two
who say anything about labour….how did this become about politics?….hmmmmmm
Does it occur to you that some of those who may not be able to read take to the soil to make a living and can’t get to their farms.
Shut your mouth what you know
The greatest concentration of fools and illiterates on island including you are suporters of the Labour Party.
I do not wish to criticize them because they are illiterate but they probably cannot speak proper English. This is why they did not give it a thought that the students had to attend college today and that it was important that they did especially having exams. They lack consideration.