Dominican students, parents and their teachers who are seeking to make use of the Bahamian educational system began officially registering yesterday.

This was revealed by Bahamas Union of Teachers president Belinda Wilson in an interview with this Journal.

Mrs. Wilson was apart of Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis’ contingent during his trip to Dominica on Monday.

The BUT president further added the despite public perception, she was never against the move, only saying she just wanted to be informed of the full details on the agreement between the two countries.

“I was never worried about it. I just wanted the details so I could make a knowledgeable decision and be able to communicate this information with my executives and my members.

“So after going there and speaking with the Prime Minister, I got a better understanding of the situation,” Mrs. Wilson said.

Wilson added that the Prime Minister informed her that he would require great technical assistance from her team in helping get the students acclimated.

Wilson said while she is unsure about the total number of persons, she does expect it to be a small group. However, on Monday Education Minister Jeffery Lloyd revealed about 20 Dominican students will take advantage of the government’s pledge to allow students from the storm-ravaged Caribbean country to study in the Bahamas.

Dr. Minnis announced last week that the government will temporarily relax immigration rules for Dominican schoolchildren.

He indicated that there are three categories of students who may apply.

These include children who have relatives in The Bahamas who can find lodging and support from their family members; college students who wish to study at The University of The Bahamas and seek boarding at The University of The Bahamas; and children of parents employed in companies, banks, etc. which have offices in The Bahamas where temporary employment transfers can be arranged with these institutions.