Ontario Village power struggle disrupts classes…

Ontario Village in the Cayo District is the staging ground for a battle over the future of two schools. So far teachers of the primary school are at home, and students of both institutions are out of classes. On one hand is the Belize Faith Mission, which started Ontario Christian School decades ago but has been reportedly dormant in the running of the institution, and wants back control. In the other corner is Pastor Ernest Tate, who, according to all reports has run the school successfully and developed Western Christian Academy high school. Last week Pastor Tate was unceremoniously removed and the Belize Faith Mission sent letters informing parents that the high school was permanently closing its doors. News Five’s Jose Sanchez has details of this developing story.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Students of Ontario Christian Primary and Western Christian Academy high schools were out of classes today. The director of the schools, Pastor Ernest Tate, was removed and teachers of the primary school were not paid their salaries. And according to the principal of the primary school, they won’t return until they are paid.

Idollyn Adolphus, Principal, Ontario Christian School
“Since the change of management for the past month, April and May, we have the same problem with our salary and that is the reason why the primary school, Ontario Christian School, we close today until we get our pay.”

Student, W.C.A.
“They should be paid, because if dehn no come den students no wah learn. Dehn have wah family, dehn have life going on. Dehn can’t just no pay dehn and expect dehn fi come dah school right so.”

Since March, Belize Faith Missions reassumed control of both schools. Yudora Millhollon Guerra, the daughter of the founder of Ontario Christian School, says it’s not her fault that the primary school teachers have not been paid.

Yudora Millhollon Guerra, Board of Directors, OCS & WCA
“We have continually funded the school for all the other needs and now they’re telling us that they don’t want to issue our cheque to our students because they are issued in the name of our former manager that we had dismissed back in May and has left us and they still want to put his name on the cheque and they didn’t want to issue our cheque into our account. They didn’t want to issue the cheque which came from the C.E.O., Mr. Coc I think his name is. As of yesterday when I called there was no cheque, I went into the office and they laughed and said oh I can’t understand that there’s no cheque. I said I can understand that there’s not cheque but I can’t understand why you’re holding back pay from my teachers.”

The new school board under Millhollon Guerra claims that the school’s pastor of twenty-five years has been undermining Belize Faith Mission.

Yudora Millhollon Guerra
“He has been found to improper behavior and we came and found things not as they should be; lack of reporting, lack of funds that should have been here. So he was removed as manager and he did resign as our pastor himself. He was trying to take our school. He formed a corporation, took our name, we can no longer use our name. We are Belize Faith Missions, the school license was given to Belize Faith Mission and we are allowed to name our school. We originally named it Ontario Christian School but later they decided that they wanted it to be Belize Faith Mission and the Education Department agreed. Now because we are the body and the licensing body, our name is just what we use but we don’t have that name incorporated.”

Santi Valencia
“Belize Faith Mission should have a board of directors. Now if a son, a daughter, a son in law and a grandson are the board head or C.E.O. or chairman or president of that board of directors, tell me how strong is that board of directors when only next two persons on that board that are outsiders; not family relatives, is pastor Ernest Tate who has been serving this ministry for thirty years.”

But the high school is mired with more problems. Belize Faith Mission sent letters to parents on Friday saying that Western Christian Academy’s doors will be closed permanently before the end of the school year.

Nazly Banner, Acting Vice Principal, W.C.A.
“The management is saying the school will be closed down on the nineteenth and our graduation ceremonies for our fourth formers is the twentieth. So we have parents who are coming in very upset, they are not sure if their child will graduate and we’re saying we want this to stop.”

Audrey Hall, Student, W.C.A.
“Dis school mi di operate fine fi di four years when I mi di come. When dis new management come, yoh hear money problems, yoh hear all kind ah problems. No food dah di cafeterias, dehn noh got water, how we supposed to drink. And yes, di food and di price, you know something—actually all we want dah help because we love we school and I deh inna third form and right now ih would ah be hard fi go apply dah wah next school.”

Brandy Montejo, Student, W.C.A.
“Think bout it we have to graduate next year. If dis school close down ih hard fi mek we go dah wah next school and den if dehn no have no vacancy we wah deh one year out ah school, just deh home and we noh wah got no education.”

Delcia Cardinez, Student, W.C.A.
“The minister or prime minister help us out, we need dis school we love dis school. Dis school help we spiritually, ih help we inna education and ih help we emotionally.”

Randy Santos, Student, W.C.A.
“This whole controversy about the adults trying—this one want to rule, that one want to rule. It’s just… I don’t know.”

Jose Sanchez
“It’s the right example?”

Randy Santos

Marlon Robinson, an English Teacher found out on Friday that he would be the new principal of one hundred and forty students and faculty of Western Christian Academy.

Jose Sanchez
“What happened with the principal?”

Marlon Robinson, Acting Principal, WCA
“On Friday as well the principal Ms. Dana, was given a dismissal letter. I am saying that these—we’ve been having a lot of issues. It’s a private school and it has come to a point that funds are not coming in as they are used to. I believe it was Pastor Tate and the old board that initiated an application for grant aid status, together with Miss Dana, the Principal.”

Jose Sanchez
“Did they do that under the faith mission’s label?”

Marlon Robinson
“That is the issue now. Now that the new management came, they dismissed Pastor Tate. I believe and I have told them, I believe that they are acting arbitrarily and unethically when that was done.”

Jose Sanchez
“Do you want the principal returned?”

Marlon Robinson
“Yes I would like to see the principal returned. She is a strong disciplinarian and she is a hard worker.”

Nazly Banner
“As teachers of Western Christian Academy we are now under new management and things aren’t’ going the way it used to go. So we’re saying that we have been threatened that our school will close down, we’re saying we want Western Christian Academy to remain open. New management is saying they don’t have the funds so they’re gonna close down the school we are saying we want our school to remain open, so we call on the Ministry of Education to come and help us in anyway they can so that next school year the school will remain open.”

Laura Garcia, Student, W.C.A.
“Many people say we are the future of Belize and if we don’t get an education how can we build this nation?”

Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.