School wardens receive training, seek support

With primary-schoolers just about ready to hit the books, Belizean educators are making their preparations. And right behind them is the School Security System, that is: the school wardens. For the past three weeks, wardens from all over the country have participated in training aimed at strengthening their public relations skills, knowledge of the law and how best to protect our young citizens. This week, wardens from Belize City found themselves in the classroom and while the men and women say the course will prove invaluable, they are also asking for additional support on the job from their supervisors and the community.

Lawrence Meheia, Warden, E.P. Yorke High School

“It’s a very excitement job sometimes because they come to you with their weapons and they say you can’t stop me. They want to go in and see these girls and they just bust in and I have to close the gate on them. So I have a hard time sometimes, but you know I talk to them. Sometimes I talk to them, sometimes I have to dodge, sometimes I have to hide behind trees, because these guys come in with weapons. You see them in their pocket.”<

Janelle Chanona

“What would you need to make your job easier?”

Lawrence Meheia

“I need protection, maybe a radio first of all and maybe a handcuff to protect ourselves or we could call for the police.”

Ionie Reid, Ward, Our Lady of Guadeloupe RC School

“What I would like to see get done more to protect the kids is…the schools that are not fenced, if any principal or the government can assist them in that way it’s safer for the children instead of just having an open school yard.”

Debbie Ewens, Workshop Facilitator

“I think we need to recognise our wardens. I think we need to recognise that they are out there with our children everyday. I think that we need to face the fact that perhaps we need to give them a little more support and a little bit more recognition because they are doing a good job.”

Rhonda Perry Tillett, Warden, All Saints

“We watch our kids very much with our eyes, with our mind and with our understand because that’s what we need to really reach to our kids. When they come in and when they go out, around the corner, up down. You know, we have to really notice them, we have to show love to our kids and the parents as well.”

When the workshop finishes this Friday, a total of seventy-five wardens from all over the country will have participated in the training.