Dispute of teachers/principals at Sadie Vernon
The minister of Education, Patrick Faber has another controversy on his plate and it has to do with the Sadie Vernon High School off Mahogany Street in Belize City. At the heart of this dispute are the Parent Teachers Association and the teachers. We say teachers because the parents support the school’s principal, Laura Baptist who they describe as a disciplinarian who puts teachers in check. But the teachers seem to have gotten the support of Faber, who has reportedly twice declared that the P.T.A. representative on the School’s Board needs to be replaced. News Five was present when, on the instruction from the Ministry, Principal Baptist called another P.T.A. meeting this evening, and the parents in attendance were not a happy group.
Perlin Hernandez, Parent
“I irate. Yoh know y? Every time dehn di hold meeting fi one thing over and over. We need fi settle dis because fi one di parents tired; two, di teachers dehn never present when we have meeting. Why? Dehn disrespectful because if you dah wah teacha yah you supposed to come dah di meeting fi mek you hear wat dah di problem.”
Marion Ali
“What is the problem?”
Perlin Hernandez
“God knows. I think dah di teachers.”
Marion Ali
“But you’re here for what? What are you guys discussing right now?”
Perlin Hernandez
“P.T.A., we voted twice and di ministry still noh want fi we P.T.A. weh we choose. So what dah di problem wid di ministry too because Patrick Faber noh even show up. How much time we send letters to he bout di P.T.A. and still he noh show up? He di disrespect we same way too just like di teachers dem.”
Ramon Hernandez, Guardian
“They’re having problem with the teachers, the principal, Mrs. Baptist and I think there’s nobody replaceable that can do the job that she is doing right now. And they’re not going to do anything about it.”
Marion Ali
“Why aren’t you getting the support from the teachers?”
Ramon Hernandez
“Because from what I’m seeing, they’re trying to take this lady out of the position because they want the teacher to do what they want to do.”
Judith Williams, Guardian
“From weh I di understand is dat di teachers dehn noh di follow di rules and den ih turn now dat dah di teachers dehn di mek trouble fi di principal. I believe any workplace yoh go yoh have to work wid di head person. If you deh yah fi do wah job, yoh supposed to do yoh job. Yoh noh deh yah fi like nobody. Di job need fi get done. Now if di school noh open September, who di worry bout weh pah di kids dehn gwein? Who wah pay di transfer and ih too late fi do transfer.”
Marion Ali
“Tell me this, you have a little sister coming here. How is this affecting her?”
Judith Williams
“Well, I noh really hear she complain bout anybody di faas wid ah or anything like weh some ah di other parents dehn di complain bout. The meeting was supposed to be held with the Minister of Education and now he’s not here. I’m here like an hour waiting to see what will be the outcome. I need to worry cause that’s my little sister. Now how my mother transfer here? Suppose all the colleges are full, where will she go? She have to wait until another year? Miss a year because of this chaos?”
There is word that the teachers have called for an audit of the school’s finances and for an investigation of the principal, who told News Five that she will talk when she is sure of her status.
