B.T.C. faculty demonstrates against proposed change in status
At the same time the politicians were making their charges at the Radisson a short distance away, a much larger group of people were making some noise of their own on Freetown Road.
Today, the staff and students of Belize Technical College spent most of day outside of the classroom demonstrating against what they say has been total disrespect shown towards them by the Ministry of Education. The big fuss is about Government’s proposed new education rules for high schools and sixth forms and the plan to convert B.T.C., Gwen Lizarraga High school and Edward P. York High into community colleges. While B.T.C. teachers and students say they are not against change, they are disappointed that the Government has seen it fit to go ahead with a plan without even consulting them first.
Isabel Tun, English Lecturer, BTC
“No, we are not against change, we are not reactionaries. The problem is that we have not been consulted, so we do not know whether the change, it could be better, it could be worse, but we would like to have some input if our terms, if our original terms of contract and governance would change. This is where we need to know what and discuss amongst ourselves.”
Dr. Cecil Reneau, Principal, BTC
“B.T.C. being governed by a board is perhaps a foregone conclusion. What is not a foregone conclusion is our status as civil servants. We are civil servants and that is the issue that Government and the Ministry of Education have to speak to.”
Presently the teachers, who are public officers operating under the Public Service Regulations, are troubled that once their status is changed from that of public officers to regular teachers, their salaries, benefits or even their jobs may be seriously affected.
George Frazier, Administrative Secretary, BNTU
“If that happens, there are certain important implications. For example, right now Government only pays seventy percent of the salary for these schools that are not government schools. Seventy percent for their salary, seventy percent for the pension. So that is one of the questions that we need to address. Will these teachers still be paid their one hundred percent by Government. It is being done as in the case of Belmopan Comprehensive or will these teachers have to go back to seventy percent.”
Questions that B.T.C. faculty say are not being answered by the Ministry, despite the fact that from two years ago, they have been trying to get someone from the ministry to try and explain to them how the new changes will affect them. But according to Chief Education officer, Ernest Raymond, nothing hasty will be forced upon those institutions affected. Raymond says they have been in consultation with the B.N.T.U. and other parties concerned. He says as far as he is aware there is nothing to suggest that the status of public officers will be changed to that of regular teachers.
Ernest Raymond, Chief Education Officer
“It shows then that the ministry, that the ministry has in all cases been discussing, dialoguing on the education rules. I wish the union would be fair in terms of representing correctly the processes that we have been engaged in presently.”
According to Raymond a meeting is planned for the twentieth and all parties concerned will be invited to voice their views and opinions about the new rules. While the students supported their principal and teachers in today’s peaceful march, they themselves were also protesting to the ministry against the poor conditions they have been forced to learn under.
Joycelyn Avilez, Student, BTC
“No attention has been given to the chemistry lab and for a whole semester, we have been unable to do any kind of lab, and for the second year students, the chemistry students they are preparing for the A level exams and if they don’t have any equipments and the lab isn’t functioning, then I don’t know how they will do on the exams.”
Nazha Romero, Student, BTC
“The situation is when we come in the morning, we have to find a desk or chair because when we come into the classroom to proceed with our subject, there is not enough desk or chair for each student on the compound. So sometimes a student may have only a chair to sit on and no desk to write on. Sometimes even the teachers do not have a desk.”
Some of the classrooms we toured showed evident signs of wear and tear, as termites have taken over the floors and walls. One classroom even had to be closed as teachers found themselves falling through the floor. But the damage has not only been limited to the classrooms. Students as well have been up in arms about their library.
Bernard Lizama, Student, BTC
“I think on behalf of the other students, I think it is not due to the main reason of the books not being updated. We don’t have the proper facilities to work. I think we need more books that in the sense the books are long, maybe from way back and now at present we are using them and they are out of order. As well I think the library should have an updated system that we can get information from, that we don’t have. As you can see the computer out of order.”
Although the students say it’s been at least five years that they’ve been studying under poor conditions, Raymond says the ministry is aware of the problems and they will be addressed.
This afternoon both students and teachers were back in the classroom.
