Education center opens in Fort George area
This afternoon Prime Minister and Fort George Area Representative Said Musa officially opened the area’s new education center on North Front Street. Musa said the center is the result of what he observed happening to Belize’s children when he was on the campaign trail in 1998. He said far too many students do not have the basic educational tools at home to help them read and write. According to Musa and the Fort George Community Association, the education center is a modest beginning but promises to become a dynamic place where young people will be offered the opportunity to improve their educational skills.
Said Musa, Prime Minister
“One of the things that are troubling us today is the fact that so many of our people are not reading. There is no use talking about going into the computer age if we have not yet mastered the basic skills of reading because the computer will never be a substitute for the book. We have to encourage our children to read.
Many of you will be shocked to learn that today in our country over 30 percent of our people cannot read and are what are called illiterates. Illiteracy is not a crime, it is nothing to be ashamed of; it is something that must be put on the table and discussed and something that we must deal with in our society.
We intend to take our country Belize into the 21st century with a literate population, a conscious population – with people who can think for themselves, who can read and write and move forward to improve their conditions of life.”
Musa said there are also plans to equip the center with computers and show documentaries on the environment, health and educational issues.
