B.N.T.U. President on Julian Cho

Today, National President of the Belize National Teachers Union Senator Elena Smith was in southern Belize, at Julian Cho Technical School where she met with the school administration.  The B.N.T.U. is concerned that the school has been operating without an official principal for months.  The U.D.P. standard bearer for Stann Creek West, Doctor Simeon Coc, whose name appears numerous times in the Auditor General’s report for issuing contracts to teachers, was seeking to be hired for the post.  According to Senator Smith, the post has yet to be filled.

Elena Smith

Senator Elena Smith, National President, B.N.T.U.

“I understand that Mr. Coc has left. I also understand that he was one of the applicants because as you know the school was without a principal for a while. Dr. Arzu was holding over for a bit. He was one of the applicants as well. But it seems, based from what we have heard, that the board was insistence on Dr. Coc being the principal and apparently that wasn’t approved. So, the back and forth and the school being without a principal for a period of time. I am not sure if the board has gone ahead and done advertisement, if they have done any interviews or if they have recommended anybody for the post. We are hearing that there are certain persons who are being looked at for the post. Hopefully they will follow the process, conducted interviews and that will go to commission; it is going to be approved or not and we go from there.”