BAPSS Promotes Vaccination of High School Aged Students

Heidi Curry

The Belize Association of Principals of Secondary Schools (BAPSS) is partnering with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health and Wellness to support vaccination days at high school campuses and community centers for youth ages twelve to seventeen. BAPSS recognizes that vaccinating students is an important measure that can lead to students being able to return to face-to-face classes, in a careful, gradual way. Earlier today, News Five spoke with Heidy Curry, chair of the principals association.

Heidi Curry, Chair, Belize Association of Principals of Secondary Schools

“To promote the partnership between the BAPSS and the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Ministry of Education to open schools, to have non-school days and support various locations across the community where students can go and get vaccinated. And the goal is, the Ministry of Health is looking for raising those numbers of vaccination so that we can have a better chance of getting those schools to open.  The target date has been October fourth, of course it depends on those COVID numbers and those vaccination rates. So at the BAPSS we’re doing everything that we can to get the word out to educate our students and parents about the benefits of the vaccination and provide information and access to these vaccination centers. Really, fortunately we have those experts looking at what kinds of targets they’re looking for. I use the date October fourth because that’s what’s widely being spread as the target. In our recommendations from the BAPSS to the Ministry of Education we have shared that on a case by case basis, the situation may be different for different schools based on maybe the COVID rates in their area, the dynamics with their school and we are advocating very gradual, careful opportunities to have face-to-face classes. So that might mean that students with special needs or students who cannot access the internet are really falling behind and may be lost from the system permanently if we can’t connect with them.”