…Only So Much the Ministry of Education Can Do for Machakilha Students

The hardships and challenges faced by the children of Machakilha have triggered more questions for the Ministry of Education. Today, Minister of Education Patrick Faber says that while he acknowledges the strains and pains of the students, his ministry can only do so much.

Patrick Faber, Minister of Education

“It is true that they live in a very remote area, it is true that there is not the kind of access but that situation exists anywhere in the world. There are many instances of people living in remote areas. It is not like the children have to walk like that every day. There is a school in the village. It is a special circumstance because as everybody in this country knows, when the PSE comes around the children have to take the PSE in an exam center which is normally our high schools. What I believe should have been done and I’m sure now has been arranged for this second day was that the management, the administration of that school could have worked out where those children were brought out from the day before and placed maybe in a hotel or with a family or something, so that they can start the day fresh. But that is not the Ministry’s thing you know. Everybody shouts for the ministry as superman to come and fix these situations. The school administration, the very same teacher who orchestrated putting the children on camera could have said, you know what, Mister Ministry of Education in Toledo can you help us to move these children or go to the catholic management, it is a catholic school to say, can you help us to move our children a day in advance so that they can start at the testing center fresh. Having said that I am sure, I have seen communication back and forth that they have made arrangements and those children did not start the morning in Machakilha walking to the exam centre.”

We will have a full report of the second day of the P.S.E. in Belize City later in the newscast.