U.C.B. students meet with Minister
The school is only thirteen years old, but students are worried about its future. Not because it is in financial trouble, but because the government wants the University College of Belize to be absorbed into a national institution. But while the government committee consults and formulates its plans, the students are also consulting — with each other and with their Minister — to find out what is happening now, and what will happen to their school. News Five attended the second session of a two-day consultation this morning at the U.C.B. Belize City campus.
The proposed University of Belize is part of government’s manifesto promise to bring together tertiary level institutions and make the system more efficient. Today students of the University College of Belize shared their views and concerns about the plan with Cordel Hyde, Minister of Education. According to Hyde although nothing has been formalized as yet, a task force of about eighteen people has been established and the group has been working on the creation of the U.B.
Cordel Hyde, Minister of Education
“They will report to me in a few months time and based on their consultation and what they have come up with then we will see how quick we can come up with this and if we can start this, at least get a start early August or September of this year or we will have to work a bit more harder in getting started on that. It is not; it won’t be an overnight thing it will take a while to get there but we have to at least start on that journey.”
In the meantime the students who will be most affected have been speaking out. They say there are a number of major concerns that the government must first address.
Carla Urbina, Student, U.C.B.
“Where are we going to get enough finance to pay all our teachers if a part of the university will be here in Belize, a part in Belmopan and another part in Toledo? How are we going to get all the money to do that and we need teachers for all of these colleges? All these sections need teachers that are prepared to teach us and that is my main concern: how are we going to get that quality of education if we don’t have the finance to get the basic needs of the university right now?”
Elizabeth Allen, Student, U.C.B.
“Well I am graduating this May. I could say well it won’t bother me, but I am thinking about the future; I am thinking about the future students. I feel that the decision to have a University of Belize has been too hasty.”
Shaylah Ciego, Student, U.C.B.
“The first and primary concern and they are not really any answers at this moment, the first and primary concern of most students is the travelling to Belmopan. How will that affect students when they have late night classes? And as well the accommodation for these students. Will dorms be provided?”
The students hope that their opinions and recommendations will be taken into account during this planning phase for the University of Belize. They also hope the issues they are raising with Minister Hyde will result in the improvement of many infrastructural problems they say currently exist at the University College of Belize.
About one hundred students turned out for today’s meeting. U.C.B. currently has an enrollment of over 800 students, about half of which attend classes on a part-time basis. Minister Hyde left this afternoon for Jamaica to attend a Strategy and Council Meeting at the University of the West Indies. Hyde says he will be discussing how U.W.I. can help develop more relevant programs at U.C.B. especially in the area of tourism.
