THE history of public education in the commonwealth is dotted with stories of constancy and change: advocates and supporters made great strides, and, along the way, there were successes and challenges.
It was gradual work for the pioneering men and women who diligently pushed for an education system that was solely dedicated to providing quality free education for the Commonwealth’s children.
The change, improvement, and eventual growth of the learning landscape in the Commonwealth is credited to one historical act that took place thirty-five years ago. This was the result when educators and advocates of public education and elected government leaders acknowledged that to be able to provide quality free education is to have an independent school system.
It was on October 13, 1988, when Public Law 6-10 was signed by Governor Pedro Pangelinan Tenorio that led to the establishment of today’s autonomous Public School System.
Public Law 6-10 also created the CNMI Board of Education, an independent governing and policymaking body of the Public School System and will be led by board members elected at-large by Saipan, Tinian and Rota residents.
Its creation was one of the success stories in the Commonwealth in that era. Planning took more than a month, and, on November 21, the formal celebration of the enactment of an independent Public School System was held.
From then on, November 21 was dedicated as the annual Education Day Celebration, which also celebrates the autonomy of the school system.
Change to status quo
The introduction of legislation establishing an elected policymaking body and an autonomous education system was a fight that was substantially won and a significant change to the status quo.
Senate Bill 6-1 was introduced by then-Senator Juan Nekkai Babauta, who later on became the last elected CNMI Resident Representative to Washington, and former governor.
Senator Babauta’s SB 6-1 became Public Law 6-10.
It transformed the then-Department of Education as an autonomous Public School System, which was the intent and the result of the Second Constitutional Convention.
The historic legislation was put forward three years after the Second Constitutional convention. The ConCon delegates voted to pass a constitutional amendment authorizing an elected Board of Education and an independent Public School System.
Known as Amendment 38 of the Second Con-Con, it was specifically written “to expand the rights afforded to the people of the CNMI by establishing a Board of Education that would be elected at large on a non-partisan basis.”
With the enactment of P.L. 6-10 or the “Education Act of 1988”, an autonomous education system has led toward growth and development in the last 35 years.
