Patrick Faber Shares Success Stories in Education
Patrick Faber
At the onset of his speech at today’s CXC/CAPE Awards ceremony, Minister of Education, Patrick Faber spoke to the gathering on the current state of the education system. Faber thumbed his nose at those who believe that the system is a failure saying that there are many success stories in his ministry.
Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
“For those who believe that our education system—there are some who have these of course—our education system is a failing education system, I ask them to look around this room today and watch the successes of our young people as they have performed because of our education system. It is a good education system but we do still have a lot to work on. In fact, if you look at the early childhood education in this country, there is a lot to be desired at that level. And that is where the foundation really is. We need to get our young people to get strong and after they get that good strong start at early childhood, we expect them to get a good foundation in primary school. And recent figures—I recently received the figures from UNICEF—about how all the countries in the world are doing as it relates to primary school enrollment. And I can tell you that Belize can be proud that it is well on its way to accomplishing the Millennium Development Goal of a hundred percent net enrollment by 2015. We are almost there and Belize stands at ninety-seven percent net enrollment; that is reason for applause as well. Our success, however, has not been as good at the secondary level although all who are involved in this system, working in it on a daily basis, will tell you that we’ve seen some tremendous success. You’ve heard that I’ve been minister of education now since 2008 and when I took over office, that enrollment at secondary level was at about forty-two percent and now it stands at fifty-one percent. So that is call for celebration although there is room for improvement. I ask you my friends, all of you, everybody who has ears; because it is everybody’s business to address these issues that face us in education.”
According to Faber, the Ministry of Education has implemented several initiatives including subsidy programs and the opening of primary and high schools around the country to increase the net enrollment targeted by the education system.
You really believe the nonsense that spews out your mouth, don’t you? So, since when does net enrollment make education a success story. You want to know what a success story is? When I left primary school, the lowest grade was an 80 in primary examination and all of us in that class who were eligible to sit what we called Scholarship exams because we were only 11 or 12 years old, passed. You know what’s a success story? Teachers like Mrs. Helen Trench and Mrs Hercillet Moody (both deceased) who used to go get kids out of their homes to come to school, feed them, teach them and nurture them so that they could make someone of themselves. Ask anyone who knew the history of former attorney, Glenford Quallo, (deceased) and his reputation on the streets and what Mrs Moody and Trench did for him. Talk about Mrs Angela Clare, Ms Pook, Mrs Hornsby, Anita Saldivar, Mrs Valda Mckay, Stuart Simmons, Homero Escalante, Andrew Lopez, your own UDP party supporter (Solo Café) Eric Neal. Three quarters of these teachers don’t even know how to write proper English, The standard of education in Belize is horrible!!! Let me tell you about success story Faber, when out of 31 of us in my class graduated and total for that year was about 135 and at least 80% of us are engineers, chemist , doctors, lawyers (including Francis and Godfrey) and educators. You need to stop reading and following what you see on television and someone in the US telling you what to do and implement what works for Belize. Oh, I forgot, your legacy is getting drunk and beating women and kissing Dean’s behind.
What joke for an education minister.
Beats his wife. Assaults his guest at their birthday party.
Worst education system in the Caribbean, all in six years.
And this buffoon still shows his face in public.
But he guards Ali’s left testicle, solid forty, inner five.
As long as Belizeans put up with poor governance run by thieves, we get what we deserve.