Teachers Union gets behind education reform

This week, teachers across the country are being honoured for their invaluable contribution to education. Teachers will be involved in a number of activities that include tests of knowledge on specific subjects, exhibitions and a sports day. Education week was officially opened on Sunday by the President of the Belize National Teachers Union, John Pinelo. Pinelo says the week’s theme “Let Education Reform Continue” is an important one, in that while the majority of educators recognize that the system needs to change, not many have been receptive to fundamental reform.

John Pinelo , President, BNTU

“Well one of the major changes has to do with the change of attitude. Attitude is a problem. For example we have, as I was saying, teachers who are use to maybe teaching math one way and other subjects one way. And what happens is that as time goes by, we need to be more innovative, we have to be updated on different methodologies, different styles of teaching instead of sticking to just one. So mostly it is an attitude problem we would face. We need to get over that and the attitudes are not only from teachers but management too and even ministry, some parents and even some students. So what I am saying is that that is one of the main areas we have to work at. As I was saying some people do not want to accept changes but we do have to accept changes if not we stay behind.”

“There have been three main reforms so far. One of them has to do with the curriculum, another one which goes along with it has to do with the standardization of text books and the other one has to do with the centralization of the Ministry of Education.”

Education week culminates on Friday with a Teachers Day.