Primary School Social Work Initiative Taking Shape

Azalia Larrieu

Larrieu also spoke about a pilot project being implemented in primary schools across Belize City that looks at the emotional and social well being of students. Notably, public primary schools do not have many social workers as a part of their programs. Bridging that gap is important to addressing some of the behavioral issues we see today in the education system, says Larrieu.

Azalia Larrieu, Lecturer, University of Belize

“The need is wide. We talk about poverty. We talk about trauma. We talk about abuse. We are seeing gang violence as well. The need is very broad. However, one of the things we are focusing with the University of Belize and social work itself in our internship program is actually focusing on children. So, I have a pilot project happening at the moment where we have interns being trained in social and emotional learning. So, what is happening with that, we are reaching out to primary schools. So far, we have three Primary Schools we are working with. So, this is Holy Redeemer Primary School, St John Vianney and St. Ignatius, and we welcome if anybody wants to partner with us and to have this program in their schools as well. This is a social and emotional learning program. What we do is we have both in session, face to face, where our interns will go in and facilitate a group session on social and emotional learning. So, teaching us to deal with our emotions when we are overwhelmed, teaching us that our emotions are okay and how we work with that. A lot of the time we have behavioral issues in the classroom and we wonder where they are coming from. As teachers in the class room they are not trained to know where these behaviors are coming from. I want to be the center of attention, I am that kid. What is happening at home with the child? These are some of the first steps towards doing that, promoting the social and emotional learning program in primary schools. And, as you know, we do not have social workers in primary schools, in any of our primary schools. We do have in some of the private schools, but our public schools there is a lack of social workers and school social workers within those.”