University and local college team up
It is big news for the northernmost district and that is because Corozal will now have a facility for a bachelor’s degree in Primary Education. Today at a Press Conference held at the Belize Institute of Management in the old capital, Galen University and the Corozal Junior College signed off on documents certifying the college up north as the institution whose facilities will be used to provide a first degree from the university. The partnership is a bold step to assist students and teachers in the north from having to relocate to Belize City or Cayo to further their studies. Both institutions told News Five that this is the way forward in the education system.
Jose Mai, Dean, Corozal Junior College
“This is the first time that we are venturing into this kind of partnership. Since we have been offering the associates of arts in primary education for four years now, we do believe that we have a market for those teachers that have been through that program to upgrade themselves to a bachelors program. And so bringing that program to our campus will make it a lot easier for those teachers particularly from the Corozal and the Orange Walk districts to have access to this program.”
Dr. Nancy Adamson, Provost & C.E.O., Galen University
“I was particularly impressed by the excellent quality of education that I saw at the Corozal Junior College and the innovative spirit of Mr. Mai and his associate Mr. Montero. And so as Galen is developing its bachelors of education program, I’m thinking most teachers are working already, how are they gonna come out to Cayo although we do have a lot of students that come out on Saturday, it’s a long journey. So I approached Mr. Mai and said might it be possible for us to partner? We will deliver the program, we have the approved licensed bachelors program, you have facilities, you are not using them on Saturdays, in the summer, and you don’t use them to their full extent solet’s talk about it. He said September we began those discussions; our faculty met with some faculty there. Administrators met and here we are today. We’ve signed the agreement and I’m just delighted. I think it’s the beginning of a wonderful relationship and it really brings teachers in the north the possibility to further their education while they work. We saw the opportunity in Corozal to partner with a junior college to take education there. We’re looking at other opportunities across Belize to do that because teachers are critical for the future of Belize.”
The bachelor’s program will begin in September for the 2009 school year.
