Senate Debates $20M Education Loan Motion

Elena Smith

The Senate debated a ten-million-dollar loan motion geared at improving the quality of education. The Inter-American Development Bank-Education Quality Improvement Program is designed to mainly improve the quality and gender equity of education at the primary and secondary levels with special focus on the innovation of Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics education. The monies have also been earmarked to the construction and establishment of a Belize STEAM Laboratory School to train teachers. While the Senators supported the bill, concerns were also voiced. 

Elena Smith, Senator for Unions

“We keep seeing that we are borrowing and borrowing and borrowing. Who will be responsible at the end of the day? Look at the terms of reference, the repayment period. Let me make it very clear because it is easy for people to misconstrue our presentations. I am not saying that our teachers don’t deserve to be trained. I am not saying that STEAM is not important. It is very critical for our students but it would be important for us so then we can make decisions based on proper documentation.”

Osmany Salas

Osmany Salas, Senator for N.G.O.s

“I would have wanted to know what a STEAM laboratory school would entail. It sounds very promising.  It sounds like something we need but I am not sure exactly how that would be set up, if we are talking about one national school, or if is a physical school or a virtual school or if it will be at various school. It would have been good to know how this ten million dollars would have been invested.”

Michel Chebat

Michel Chebat, Lead P.U.P. Senator

“Each year we see progressively that student’s performance is going down, down, down. I think we are missing the basics in education.”