Teachers Honor First Leg of Make Up Time

Luke Palacio

As part of the mediation agreement agreed to in February, the Belize National Teachers’ Union agreed to release its teachers to make up lost class time due to the October strike for the first three days of the Easter vacation, and the first three days of July. While it seemed that most schools were already in vacation mode last week, B.N.T.U. President Luke Palacio said on Wednesday that for the most part teachers had adhered to the plan and will do so again in July.

Luke Palacio, National President, B.N.T.U.

“We don’t have but we know that there were teachers in school; we know that there were students; but to verify the number, I would not be able to say at this stage.”

Reporter

“In any event, we know you agreed to this during the mediation, what would be the ultimate test of how it works?”

Luke Palacio

“The ultimate test of how it works? For whom?”

Reporter

“For the teachers, for the students, for the entire system.”

Luke Palacio

“Our position – we went to mediation as agreed to by both parties – the Government of Belize, particularly the Ministry of Education, continue to try to be intransigent; they continue to try to punish the teachers of Belize simply because of what we did. We stand by the ruling and the agreement made at the mediation, that our teachers have three days to make up the first three days of July, and that’s what our position remains.”