Ministry of Education has done nothing yet to save Ashley’s Learning Center

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, July 15, 2022 – Despite assurances to the public that they wanted the relationship between Ashley’s Learning Centre and the Ministry of Education to continue, when MM followed up with founder of the special needs school, Angela Williams, we learned still there has been no contact from Government to salvage the situation.

Rachel Taylor Minister of Education vowed, “The relationship between the government and Ashley’s Learning Centre will not end here.”

Taylor also referred to Williams as her ‘dear friend’ and said the government would not allow the school to close down.

These promises were made in a press conference on Friday.  That conference was announced mere hours after Williams had her own press conference detailing the reasons she might close down.  Ministry officials referred to specific parts of Williams’ presentation in their speeches but between watching her press conference and writing speeches to rebut her claims, delivering those speeches and making promises to keep the relationship between the two institutions alive, Williams says no one has picked up the phone to start the line of communication that could possibly rescue the relationship.

Williams has confirmed the closure of the centre explaining that she felt the damage done to her reputation during the Ministry’s press conference on Friday has likely destroyed any chance she would have had at securing private funding.

This is despite the government officials in that conference admitting that special needs in the Turks and Caicos is understaffed and as they cast doubt on their own capability to house the students from Ashley’s.