Belize Technical College to get new principal
The Belize Technical College could soon find itself once again playing a crucial role in the development of the country. That’s according to minister of education Cordel Hyde. Accompanied by the Permanent Secretary and the Chief Education Officer, the minister dropped in on the staff this morning for a brief visit. Patrick Jones reports.
Patrick Jones
“The late morning meeting gave teachers of the Belize Technical College an opportunity to quiz the new Minister of Education Cordel Hyde on his immediate and long term plans for the institution.”
Cordel Hyde, Minister of Education
“We intend to expand the holding capacity of the Belize Technical College. We intend to have it play an integral part in the development of this nation, to respond to the developmental needs of this nation. For example, we have serious commitment to the establishment of at least a center for employment training in each district and we see Technical playing a collaborative role with the Belize Teacher’s College in terms of training those who will be instructors in those institutions.”
But before they can take on that additional responsibility, the teachers told the Minister that the current state of the college needs immediate attention.
Cordel Hyde
“We have started discussions in Cabinet already about getting some badly needed funds to the institution. In fact we have spoken with the college so that they can help us with some figures that we will send up to finance and we have already gotten principle support for initiatives where Belize Technical College is concerned. We are committed whole heartedly to the advancement of this institution and the advancement of education on a whole.”
Dorian Barrow, P.S. Ministry of Education
“Boy, Technical needs help. Technical needs more help than any of the higher level institutions that I know and we are committed to helping Technical, to find the money to facilitate Technical in becoming what it can be and in resurrecting its glory day. Immediately we are trying to complete the process of getting some immediate relief money.”
Barrow says that initially about a hundred and fifty thousand dollars will be needed to jump-start the process of getting the Belize Technical College back on its feet.
Also on the agenda for this morning’s meeting was the issue of a replacement for former principal Cecil Reneau. Prior to his appointment as Chief Education Officer, Reneau was on medical leave and as such the college has been without a principal for the last three months. And while he is anxious to fill the vacancy, Minister Hyde says it’s not his style to make impositions and has asked the staff to suggest who they want as principal.
Cordel Hyde
“Well, I’m a new minister and I don’t know enough about Belize Technical College to say come in here and say this is the principal that you should have. I think that there are people here who have been here for many years, who know best about the problems and about the direction that they want to take and about the leadership qualities that exist among staff, so that we think that faculty governance is a great way for them to put somebody forward and for that person to get an opportunity to prove him or herself.”
While they appreciate the opportunity to choose their new leader, the teachers questioned why they were asked to submit two names instead of one. Permanent Secretary Doctor Dorian Barrow’s explanation is that it’s just a matter of protocol.
Dorian Barrow
“Well, primarily because it’s a new concept and we still have to go through the Public Service. Normally under a faculty government system there is a fairly articulate set of rules whereby through a long process of selection, one person is selected. We still have the situation where we have to make a recommendation to the Ministry of the Public Service. They prefer two names. If you give them one name, they feel like they don’t have a choice and they want a choice in the matter.”
Barrow says that whoever gets the nod as principal of B.T.C., will have to first have to undergo a lengthy probation period, after which they will be considered for permanent appointment.
Q: “Given the state of the institution right now, why give a probation period for ten months and not appoint a full-time principal one time and get it over with?”
Dorian Barrow
“Well part of it is government procedure. Before somebody gets appointed to such a post they have to act for a period and the other part of it is just to see if the person is up to the job. As you know Pat, we work in organizations and some people might sell themselves in such a way that they can get the job and after a period of evaluation realize that we really thought that this person could have done the job but he can’t really do it. So the probation period is absolutely necessary in this system.”
With the introductions out of the way and each side openly expressing their minds in frank and open discussions this morning, the staff of the Belize Technical says their only hope is that it won’t be the last friendly chit-chat with their new minister over the next five years. Patrick Jones for News Five.
The appointment of the acting principal of the Belize Technical College could come as early as Monday of next week when the staff is expected to submit the name of their candidate to the Ministry of Education.
