Principal Arnold: Salary Cut is a Slap in the Face

Karema Arnold

Principal Karema Arnold has broken her silence on the salary cut and increment freeze for teachers and public officers.  Today, the staff over at Stella Maris School wore their green shirts, in solidarity with the Belize National Teachers Union.  Arnold told the media that the decision taken by G.O.B. is an affront to all those who have invested so much in their professional development to meet the qualifying standards for the classroom put in place by the government.

Karema Arnold, Principal, Stella Maris Primary School

“We understand that this whole pandemic has taken a toll on everybody, the entire economic system of the world. However, as you rightly mentioned, teachers have taken the time to qualify themselves, to ensure that they gain the necessary credentials that they need to be in this profession. Taking away our salary is somewhat like a slap in the face – this is my point of view – a slap in the face and it is not something that we are taking quite easily or taking sitting down. There must be other options that the government can take or look at before they say alright this is what we are going to do and hands down.  As we speak, we have teachers who have been reaching out to parents and finding out their take on it. As a union member, we come together; our theme is solidarity and we will ensure that we come together. If it means that we have to put all this aside momentarily and we have parents understand that what we are doing is not just for now. We want to set the groundwork for our children’s children and for the next generations to come, ensuring that all these things that we are doing now that they don’t have to go through.”